Puducherry, April 9:<\/em> By 5 p.m., voter turnout had reached an impressive 86.92 per cent<\/strong>, already surpassing the previous record of 86 per cent set in 2006. Officials indicated that the final turnout is likely to increase further, as voters present in queues at the close of polling were allowed to cast their votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Voting commenced at 7 a.m. across all constituencies and proceeded smoothly throughout the day. Enthusiastic participation was reported not only from Puducherry but also from its enclaves\u2014Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam. Long queues outside polling stations highlighted strong public engagement in what is being seen as a crucial election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A total of 9.5 lakh voters<\/strong> were eligible to vote, including 5.03 lakh women<\/strong> and 4.46 lakh men<\/strong>, with women voters outnumbering their male counterparts. The electorate was distributed across 23 constituencies in Puducherry, five in Karaikal, and one each in Mahe and Yanam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Authorities had established 1,099 polling stations<\/strong>, of which 209 were identified as vulnerable<\/strong>, prompting enhanced security arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The election witnessed a multi-cornered contest, though the primary battle remained between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA)<\/strong>, led by the All India N.R. Congress (AINRC), and the opposition INDIA bloc<\/strong>, comprising the Congress, DMK, and VCK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adding a new dimension to the contest was the entry of actor-politician Vijay\u2019s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)<\/strong>, which drew considerable attention. Meanwhile, actor-director Seeman\u2019s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK)<\/strong> also fielded candidates, aiming to strengthen its regional presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Polling officially concluded at 6 p.m., with election authorities ensuring that all voters in queues were allowed to vote through a token system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The turnout has already exceeded the 82.2 per cent recorded in the 2021 Assembly elections<\/strong>, and is being viewed as a sign of heightened political awareness and strong voter mobilisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a record turnout and a closely fought contest, the Puducherry Assembly election has set the stage for a decisive verdict that will shape the Union Territory\u2019s political future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Puducherry, April 9:Polling for the 30-member Puducherry Assembly concluded on Thursday under tight security, with the Union Territory witnessing a record-breaking voter turnout, reflecting the intensity of the electoral contest. By 5 p.m., voter turnout had reached an impressive 86.92 per cent, already surpassing the previous record of 86 per cent set in 2006. Officials […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27416,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\n
Polling for the 30-member Puducherry Assembly concluded on Thursday under tight security, with the Union Territory witnessing a record-breaking voter turnout, reflecting the intensity of the electoral contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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