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May 19: The counting of votes for the Puducherry Assembly elections will be held tomorrow at 8 AM. It is expected to go on till noon, and the results for the 30-seat Legislative Assembly will announced by the election commission soon after. The voter turnout in the Union Territory was recorded at 81.94% i.e. nearly 9.41 lac voters. The headcount for women voters was 4.94 lacs, constituting more than half the electorate. A total number of 344 candidates, including 96 independents contested the elections from four districts; Puducherry, Mahe, Yanam and Karaikal.
Key candidates in the fray are incumbent Chief Minister and founder of All India NR Congress (AINRC), N. Rangasamy from Indira Nagar constituency and his main rival, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister V Vaithilingam from the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), Pondicherry (regional wing of the Indian National Congress). Other major political parties include, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
Going into the elections, the Congress party and the DMK are the only two parties which have formed an alliance, contesting 21 seats and 9 seats, respectively. The AINRC, which had formed an alliance with AIADMK in the previous elections, will each be contesting solo as will the BJP, nominating their candidates in all 30 segments of the UT.
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