Puducherry election 2026 LIVE: For the first time, voter turnout exceeds 89% in the Union Territory

Until 5 p.m., Puducherry recorded 86.92% voter turnout for the Assembly election in the Union Territory on Thursday (April 9, 2026). The voter turnout percentage is expected to increase as polling ends at 6 p.m.Since 1977, the Union Territory’s highest voter turnout percentage stood at 86% in 2006. During the last Assembly election held in 2021, 82.2% votes were polled.

An auto driver who recently underwent surgery after a road accident arrived by ambulance from the hospital to cast his vote in Karaikal for Puducherry Assembly election.

Mahendran, injured in a bike accident on April 6, sustained severe leg injuries and underwent surgery at the government hospital. As he was unable to travel, he was brought in an ambulance to a polling booth in the Karaikal South constituency, where he exercised his franchise — M. Nacchinarkkiniyan

The Government Middle School at Keezhur in Mangalam Assembly constituency of Puducherry, one among the three designated ‘unique’ polling stations in the Union Territory, had Tamil art forms, flex boards featuring the freedom history of erstwhile Pondicherry and eco-friendly materials decking up the ambience as voters walked in to exercise their franchise during the Puducherry Assembly elections on Thursday (April 9, 2026).

In Karaikal district comprising five Assembly constituencies, 70.80% voter turnout was recorded till 3 p.m. during polling for Puducherry Assembly election on Thursday (April 9, 2026) — M. Nacchinarkkiniyan

The Union Territory of Puducherry registered 72.4% votes across 30 Assembly segments including Mahe and Yanam, till 3 p.m. on Thursday (April 9, 2026) — Rajesh B. Nair

As polling in 30 constituencies in the Union Territory of Puducherry are under way, here are some key takeaways from past voting trends, close contests and more.

The Union Territory of Puducherry registered a voter turnout of 56.83% across all the 30 constituencies, till 1 p.m. — Rajesh B. Nair

In Karaikal district comprising five of Puducherry’s 30 Assembly constituencies, 56% voter turnout was recorded till 1 p.m. during the polling for Assembly election in the Union Territory of Puducherry — M. Nacchinarkkiniyan

Tension prevailed at a polling booth in Karaikal after smoke emanated from the battery of a VVPAT machine. Officials replaced the faulty battery and polling resumed after about ten minutes of disruption.

Polling for the Puducherry Assembly election began at 7 a.m. across 181 polling stations in Karaikal district with five Assembly constituencies on Thursday (April 9, 2026).At booth number 27/14 under the Karaikal South constituency, located at the Government School in Kottucherry, smoke suddenly emerged from the battery inside the VVPAT machine, causing commotion. Polling officials immediately took the machine out of the booth. Election department officials and fire and rescue personnel rushed to the spot and removed the battery. Engineers from BHEL replaced the battery in the VVPAT machine, following which polling resumed. District Election Officer Pooja, who visited the spot, inquired with officials about the incident — M. Nacchinarkkiniyan

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Voters in large numbers thronged polling stations in Puducherry from early morning on Thursday (April 9, 2026) to elect a new 30-member Legislative Assembly. 

Within the first four hours of polling, 37.06% of voters had turned up at polling booths across this former French enclave. As many as 9.5 lakh electors, spread across the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, are expected to participate as polling advances during the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday (April 9, 2026), appealed to the people of Puducherry to exercise their franchise in large numbers in the Assembly elections in the Union Territory.He also urged voters in the States of Assam and Kerala to cast their votes.

The Union Territory of Puducherry registered 37.06% votes across 30 Assembly segments including Mahe and Yanam, till 11 a.m. on Thursday — Rajesh B. Nair

A minor clash broke out between BJP and Congress workers near the Government Hight School polling station at Thirukkanur in Mannadipet Assembly constituency. The tussle broke out after supporters of Congress and BJP candidates accused each other of campaigning near the polling stations. BJP leader and Home Minister A. Namassivayam is locked in a direct fight with Congress candidate T.P.R. Selvame in Mannadipet constituency. Police had to resort to mild caning to disperse the crowd — Rajesh B. Nair

In the 2021 Puducherry Assembly elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a majority, winning 16 of 30 constituencies. The All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) emerged as the single-largest party with 10 seats, while its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won 6 seats. The other seats went to DMK (6), Independents (6), and Congress (2).

AINRC founder N. Rangasamy was sworn in as Chief Minister on May 7, 2021. He formed a coalition government with the BJP.

Here is the current Council of Ministers in Puducherry

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In October 1954, Keezhur, a village in the Puducherry-Tamil Nadu border off Villianur, produced the definitive referendum in favour of the merger of French establishments with India. 

This formed the basis for a bilateral Treaty of Cession three days later, ceding full sovereignty of the territories of Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam from France to India — S. Prasad

The battle of Thattanchavady, that has pitted a serving Chief Minister against his predecessor has turned into the most high profile contest of the 30-member Legislative Assembly in the Union Territory. A part of the Oulgaret Municipality, the constituency is considered a stronghold of Chief Minister N. Rangasamy.

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Puducherry registered 82.2% polling in the last Assembly polls held in 2021.

The NDA comprising AINRC, BJP, AIADMK and LJK and the INDIA bloc comprising Congress, DMK and the VCK are the two principal alliances in the race and the entry of actor-politician led Vijay’s TVK has led to a lot of expectations.

Among the important contestants are the AINRC leader and Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who is facing challenge from the Puducherry pradesh Congress Committee president and Lok Sabha MP V. Vaithilingam in Thattanchavady constituency, the pocket borough of Mr. Rangasamy.

The Chief Minister is also contesting from Mangalam seat. Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, DMK’s R Siva is fighting from Villianur segment where M Ravikumar of AINRC is his immediate rival in the multi-cornered contest. -- PTI

Excitement filled the air for hundreds of first-time voters who become eligible to exercise their vote. There are 24,919 first time voters in Puducherry.

‘I learned about voting rights from Political science textbook while in school. Before coming to vote today, searched online to learn how to vote. I don’t know whether, my vote is going to make any big difference in society but certainly I feel more matured enough. I am excited to be part of the decision making process,” T. Sujitha, first year B.Tech student at Pondicherry Technological University said after voting at Farooq Marikkar Government Girls High School at Kalapet constituency. 

She came to vote along with her elder sister, T. Madhumitha, doing her MA English Literature at Pondicherry University. 

“I am also a first-time voter. We become more politically conscious as we grow older. Certainly, I am concerned about things happening around me like quality of roads, drinking water and other civic amenities, she said. - Rajesh B. Nair

The entry of a controversial lottery tycoon’s scion with a ₹597-crore wealth portfolio into the electoral arena has not only put your average crorepati candidate in the shade, but could also reset the balance between bankrolled outreach and grassroot effort in the election campaign in Puducherry.

Jose Charles Martin, Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK) founder and son of lottery tycoon Santiago Martin, is making his electoral debut as the NDA candidate in one of the city’s highly urbanised constituencies — Kamaraj Nagar.

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All higher educational institutions in Puducherry will remain closed from April 8 to 10 due to the Assembly elections in the Union Territory, Director of Higher and Technical Education A.S. Sivakumar has said. Polling in Puducherry is scheduled on Thursday (April 9, 2026).

Amid tight security, voting began at 7 a.m. across Puducherry and in its enclaves, including Karaikal.

-PTI

The AINRC remains the mainstay of the Union Territory’s political landscape, a position once occupied by the Congress. The decision of businessman Jose Charles Martin — who has deep pockets — to venture into electoral politics may have changed the dynamics of the 2026 election in Puducherry.

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The cohesiveness in the INDIA bloc alliance has been put to test after the decision of the Congress, the DMK, the CPI and the VCK to field candidates against each other in several of the 30 Assembly constituencies in the April 9 polls in the Union Territory.

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He has held his ground in the National Democratic Alliance by blocking the precedent of creating a Deputy CM post for BJP and preserving his prerogative to determine Cabinet berths.

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In many ways, the 2011 Assembly elections turned out to be a watershed moment in the political history of Puducherry. It was when the poll results heralded the beginning of the journey of a new regional outfit, the All India N.R. Congress headed by the present Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, that proved itself capable of challenging the dominance of mainstream political parties.

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Puducherry, which saw its first-ever AINRC-BJP Government installed in 2021, gets its earliest opportunity to deliver a verdict on five years of the much-touted “double-engine” governance model when the Union Territory goes to the polls on April 9, 2026, to elect the 16th Legislative Assembly.

The All India N.R. Congress (AINRC), led by four-time Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, leads the headcount in the 15th Legislative Assembly with 10 MLAs, while its ally, the BJP, has six. The DMK, the principal Opposition, has six; the Congress, two; and Independents six.

In contrast, the NDA has been able to evolve a broad agreement among allies. Last week, the coalition announced a seat-sharing formula modelled on the 2021 pattern, with the AINRC contesting 16 seats and the BJP and other partners splitting the remaining 14 seats.

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