Kumar Bahukhandi
Voting for the Legislative Assembly elections took place in Puducherry on Thursday. The public cast their votes with great enthusiasm. The Chief Minister arrived on a motorcycle and cast his vote.and the Lieutenant Governor also exercised their franchise; they were welcomed by a robot that presented them with flowers. —Image-Reuters
From the moment voting began at 7 am, there was a steady rise in voter turnout
Puducherry: The Union Territory of Puducherry recorded an unprecedented voter turnout of 89.87% in the 2026 Assembly elections, marking the highest participation in its electoral history, according to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.
Chief Electoral Officer P. Jawahar thanked officials, volunteers, political parties and voters for ensuring a peaceful and successful election.
Polling was conducted smoothly across all constituencies, beginning with a mock poll at around 5:30 a.m. in the presence of candidate representatives. After verifying the accuracy of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs, official voting commenced at 7 a.m. and continued till 6 p.m., with voters in queues allowed to cast their ballots thereafter
Officials said the turnout surpassed previous records, including 85.57% in 2011 and 85.33% in 1974. In addition, 12,936 voters, including senior citizens, persons with disabilities and those on election duty, exercised their franchise through postal ballots. Ballots have also been sent to 328 service personnel, which are expected to further raise the overall polling percentage.
Despite a minor altercation between two groups near a polling station in Mannadipet constituency, where police intervened to restore order, the election process remained largely peaceful across the Union Territory.
Election authorities reported that a small number of EVMs and VVPAT machines were replaced during both mock and actual polling due to technical issues, with no disruption to the voting process.
In a bid to promote eco-friendly practices, the Election Department encouraged voters to participate in the “Walk to Vote” campaign. Drone surveillance was also deployed, leading to the seizure of ₹1.18 lakh allegedly meant for voter inducement.
A total of 264 complaints related to Model Code of Conduct violations were received on social media, of which 216 were found valid and acted upon.
Live Updates
9 April 2026 1:57 PM Brisk polling was witnessed in Puducherry on Thursday with 37.06 per cent of the electorate casting their votes till 11 am. – PTI Photo
9 April 2026 1:29 PM
A robot is welcoming electors at a polling station in Puducherry
9 April 2026 11:43 AM
9 April 2026 11:36 AM
Puducherry Elections 2026: LJK founder and NDA candidate Jose Charles Martin says, “Today we can see a lot of people coming forward to show their strength and unity. So this is Indian democracy and we will show our strength and power.”
9 April 2026 11:20 AM
Puducherry CM Rangaswamy casts vote; makes stylish exit on bike Puducherry Chief Minister and All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder, N Rangaswamy, cast his vote for the ongoing Puducherry Assembly Elections, maintaining his long-standing tradition of riding his motorcycle to the polling booth. The CM is contesting from the Thattanchavady and Mangalam Assembly constituencies.
9 April 2026 8:49 AM
Puducherry Election 2026: BJP state president V P Ramalingam casts his vote, urges youth to perform their democratic duty.
9 April 2026 7:09 AM
Mock polling begins Ahead of the voting in the Union Territory of Puducherry, the officials conducted mock polls at various polling booths on Thursday.
(Source-Reuters)
