Voters in Puducherry are all set to exercise their franchise on Tuesday, adhering to COVID-19 safety protocol, to elect new governments.
In the Union Territory where the Narayanasamy government was pulled down in February, voters would choose essentially between the fronts led by the Congress and the All India NR Congress.
Here are the latest updates:
Third gender voters demand survey among their community
Third gender voters want the next government in the Union Territory to conduct a survey to identify the number of transgenders in the UT and frame measures to bring them into the mainstream.
As per the electoral statistics available with authorities, the UT has 116 third gender voters, including 96 in Puducherry region. Largest number of third gender voters, 18, are in Ariankuppam constituency, followed by 16 in Karaikal North.
Sheetal Nayak, president of Sahodaran Community Oriented Health Development Society, told The Hindu , after voting in a polling booth at Ariankuppam, that the number of eligible transgender voters are much more than the figure with Election authorities.
Puducherry records 77.90 % polling till 5 p.m.
66.06 % polling recorded in Union Territory till 3 p.m.
An estimated 66 % of the 10.04 lakh voters in the Union Territory of Puducherry exercised their franchise till 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
Polling was brisk from the beginning.
Official sources said that 66.36 % of the voters exercised their franchise in Puducherry while the Karaikal region recorded 64.86 %, Mahe 56.53 % and Yanam region 71.60 %.
Yanam, where the AINRC leader N. Rangasamy is contesting, registered a higher percentage of polling than the other three regions from the beginning.
Rangasamy is seeking election to the territorial Assembly from Thattanchavady segment in Puducherry region also.
The contest is keen between the AINRC-led NDA and the Congress-led Secular Democratic alliance.
Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader V. Narayanasamy, however, bowed out of the poll contest on the ground that he had to coordinate poll related work in the union territory.
He had also claimed at a recent press meet that the high command had asked him to contest but had refrained the contest only to coordinate poll related works.
The NDA, however, had claimed that the Congress high command had refused ticket to Narayanasamy in spite of his long service in the party.
The BJP and AIADMK are the other constituents of the AINRC-led NDA here.
While AINRC fielded candidates in 16 of the total 30 constituencies the BJP is aspiring to annex nine seats while the AIADMK is contesting from five seats.
The Congress has fielded candidates in 14 out of the 15 seats earmarked to it.
The national party is supporting an independent in Yanam.
The DMK, its main alliance partner, has fielded candidates in 13 seats and the VCK and CPI are contesting from one constituency each.
There was tight police security at all booths.
Polling has by and large been peaceful so far.
Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and her husband cast their votes in Chennai, a release from her office said. - PTI
Puducherry averaged 35.64 % polling as of 12.30 p.m.
The Union Territory has 10,04,507 voters with the demographic gap increasing between men and women electors since the 2016 elections.
There are 5,31,383 women against 4,72,341 men, apart from 116 Third Gender electors and 11,915 PwD (Persons with Disability) voters.
Four hours into polling as of 11 a.m., the overall polling percentage in the U.T. was 20.07. While Puducherry clocked 19.92%, Karaikal registered 20.70%, Mahe 15.46% and Yanam 24.17%.
The fight for the 30-seat Assembly (which also has three nominated legislators) is essentially between the Congress-led alliance comprising DMK, Left parties and VCK and the NDA consisting of the AINRC, BJP, AIADMK and PMK.
The 324 candidates in the fray also include nominees of smaller parties such as Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, Naam Tamilar Katchi and Makkal Needhi Maiam apart from several Independents.
The overall polling percentage at 11 a.m. in the Union Territory was 20.07%.
Polling percentage in the constituencies was as follows-
Puducherrry - 19.92 %
Karaikal - 20.70 %
Mahe - 15.46 %
Yanam - 24.17 %
Polling percentage in different constituencies:
Puducherry - 16.51%,
Karaikal - 16.86%,
Mahe - 14.85%,
Yanam - 14.98%
- Dinesh Varma
Puducherry has so far recorded 9.88% polling and Karaikal 13.65%.
- Dinesh Varma
As of 9 a.m., Puducherry had recorded 0.32% polling.
Former Chief Minister of Puducherry and founder-leader of All India N R Congress N. Rangasamy cast his vote at the Government Middle School, Thilaspet in Thattanchavady constituency. Mr. Rangasamy is contesting from Thattanchavady and Yanam constituencies.
- Rajesh B. Nair
Residents of the Cluny Old Age Home have defied age and infirmity to exercise their franchise in every election.
- Dinesh Varma
Slow start to polling in Puducherry.
An estimated 10.04 lakh voters are registered to exercise their franchise in the elections across 30 constituencies to choose the 15th Puducherry Assembly.
- Dinesh Varma
Among the candidates to cast vote early was BJP president and party nominee from Lawspet V. Saminathan.
- Rajesh B. Nair
Long queues were seen outside polling booths in the town before voting commenced with voters and election officials adhering to COVID-19 protocols.
- Rajesh B. Nair
Representing both ends of the age spectrum, 31,864 first-time voters in the age group of 18-19 years are expected to join an estimated 17,000 voters above 80 years of age as polling gets under way in 1,558 polling stations — 952 main and 606 auxiliary stations.
Polling will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Puducherry District Collector clarifies prohibitory order will not affect normal life
Acting on the directions of the Madras High Court, District Collector Purva Garg on April 5 clarified that the prohibitory orders issued under Section 144 of the CrPC would not affect normal public life in Puducherry, which goes to the polls on April 6.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy had expressed displeasure over the prohibitory orders after concluding a special sitting to hear a public interest litigation petition filed by R. Rajangam, secretary, CPI(M), Puducherry on April 4.