Puducherry, Apr 8:
The high-decibel election campaign in Puducherry, Keralam and Assam came to a close on Tuesday evening, setting the stage for the Assembly elections scheduled tomorrow.
The long-pending demand for Statehood emerged as a key political issue in Puducherry.
Campaigning officially ended at 5 p.m., with candidates making last-minute door-to-door appeals in a final bid to consolidate voter support.
Puducherry will go to polls across 1,099 booths, with the Election Commission of India putting in place elaborate arrangements, including tight security and essential facilities to ensure smooth polling.
The electorate stands at 9.48 lakh voters, comprising 4.45 lakh men and 5.03 lakh women. Officials are expecting a significant voter turnout, aided by extensive deployment of police personnel and central forces to maintain law and order.
The electoral contest is largely viewed as a direct fight between the ruling AINRC-led NDA alliance—featuring Bharatiya Janata Party and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam—and the Opposition INDIA bloc led by Indian National Congress with support from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Adding a new dimension to the polls is the electoral debut of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam led by actor-politician Vijay, along with the presence of Naam Tamilar Katchi headed by Seeman, making the contest multi-cornered.
The significance of the elections was underscored by the active participation of top national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, all of whom campaigned extensively.
The process of opening strong rooms storing electronic voting machines began this morning under tight security, and the dispatch of machines to polling stations across all constituencies is now underway.
The strong rooms at Women’s Engineering College, Motilal Nehru Government Polytechnic College, and Tagore Government Arts and Science College were opened around 8 AM today under tight security. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs are being dispatched to polling stations, with priority given to remote and far-flung areas.
Reserve EVMs have been kept ready under the custody of Returning Officers and are securely stored at designated locations, including Bahour and Nettapakkam. Tomorrow, reserve machines will be handed over to sector officers to address any technical issues. After polling, all used EVMs will be brought back and stored constituency-wise in the same strong rooms under strict security. Unused and defective reserve EVMs will be stored separately at secure locations in Puducherry, Mahe, and Yanam.
With campaigning now over, all eyes are on polling day, as voters prepare to decide the political future of the Union Territory amid heightened expectations and closely watched contests.