Puducherry Assembly Election Counting to Begin Monday with Record 89.83% Turnout

NEW DELHI: Counting of votes for the Puducherry assembly elections will begin on Monday at 8 am, with clear trends expected within a few hours as the Union Territory has only 30 constituencies. The election witnessed a record voter turnout of 89.83% and is being closely watched as a high-stakes contest between the ruling NDA, led by the AINRC, the Congress-led SPA and emerging players including the TVK.

Thattanchavady is one of the most high-profile constituencies in Puducherry, where chief minister N Rangasamy (AINRC) is defending his stronghold. He faces a major challenge from former chief minister V Vaithilingam from Congress. E Vinayagam of NMK, backed by TVK, is also in the fray. The constituency is considered Rangasamy's political base, where he won in 2021 by 5,456 votes. It has seen shifting political control in past elections, including a bypoll win by DMK in 2019. This year, voter turnout rose to 82.44%, compared to 76.89% in 2021.

Mannadipet is a closely contested semi-urban constituency with strong agrarian influence. The main fight is between A Namassivayam of BJP and TPR Selvame of Congress, with K Bharathidasan of TVK also contesting and focusing on youth voters. The seat has a history of narrow victories, including wins by just a few thousand votes in recent elections. In 2026, it recorded a high turnout of 93.59%, among the highest in the Union Territory.

Raj Bhavan constituency saw a major political shift after the exit of veteran leader K Lakshminarayanan. The BJP fielded state president VP Ramalingam, while the Congress (SPA) nominated Vignesh Kannan. TVK has fielded former IPS officer VJ Chandran. Earlier dominated by Lakshminarayanan, who won three consecutive terms, the constituency changed hands after NDA seat-sharing adjustments. Turnout rose significantly to 87.89% from 72.5% in 2021.

Lawspet is a key urban constituency known for educated voters and political volatility. The main contest is between M Vaithianathan of Congress, VP Sivakolundhu of AINRC party from NDA bloc and V Saminathan of TVK. The seat has changed hands between Congress and BJP-backed candidates in recent elections, reflecting shifting voter preferences. Turnout increased to 88% in 2026 from 82.6% in 2021.

Mahe is a small enclave within Kerala with a unique Malayalam-speaking electorate. The main contest is between Ramesh Parambath from Congress, A Dineshan of BJP and Prijesh M of TVK. The seat has seen narrow victories in recent elections, including a 300-vote margin in 2021. Turnout stood at 77.41% in 2026, higher than 73.54% in 2021.

Yanam, a Telugu-speaking enclave in Andhra Pradesh, has long been politically dominated by Malladi Krishna Rao, who returns for NDA. He faces Gollapalli Srinivas Ashok of Congress and Thota Raju from TVK. Turnout rose sharply to 93.24% in 2026 assembly elections from 91.28% in 2021.

The Puducherry election is being seen as a test for the ruling NDA, which is seeking a second straight term under AINRC leadership. The Congress-led SPA is aiming for a comeback, while TVK has emerged as a new force in several constituencies. Exit polls have projected an advantage for the NDA, but final results will be clear only after counting begins on Monday morning.