Voting for the Puducherry Assembly elections got underway on Thursday with both the BJP and the Congress expressing strong confidence in forming the next government in the Union Territory.
Polling started on a smooth note across Puducherry early in the morning, as voters turned up steadily at polling stations to cast their ballots for the 30-member Assembly. The Union Territory currently has a 33-member Assembly, of which 30 members are elected by the public.
At present, Puducherry is governed by an alliance between the All India N.R. Congress and the BJP. As the electoral process began, BJP state President V.P. Ramalingame voiced optimism about the NDA's prospects.
Speaking to IANS, Ramalingame said, "Today is a very good day. All the citizens are showing great interest in voting for our nation. Everything is going very well. NDA is going to form the government."
Ramalingame is contesting from the Raj Bhavan (General) Assembly constituency, where he faces competition from Congress candidate R Kumaran and DMK nominee Vignesh Kannan, making it a closely watched contest.
On the other hand, the Congress also projected confidence in its chances, asserting that the electorate is looking for a shift in governance. The party accused the current BJP-led administration of widespread corruption and governance failures.
Congress leader and former Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, after casting his vote, told IANS, "I exercise my democratic right by going to the booth and standing in the queue to vote. It is the duty of every citizen of India to go and cast their vote. In Puducherry, the situation is very favourable for the INDIA bloc."
He further criticised the incumbent government, stating, "Under the current government, there is a total misrule. There is corruption everywhere, unemployment is rising, and crime against women."
"Therefore, the people of Puducherry want a clean government which is going to take care of the welfare of the people, create employment opportunities, improve healthcare and education. Hence, the INDIA bloc will form a government this time."
Narayanasamy had earlier, on March 24, decided not to contest the Assembly elections, citing concerns that discussions around his candidature were causing friction within the alliance during seat-sharing negotiations with the DMK.
Polling commenced at 7 a.m. across 1,099 polling stations and is scheduled to continue until 6 p.m. Officials have indicated that all necessary arrangements are in place to ensure a peaceful and orderly voting process.
With all major political players in the fray, the election is expected to witness a keen contest as parties compete to secure control of the Union Territory.
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