Puducherry Assembly election: Voter turnout at 37.06% as of 11 a.m.

Puducherry Assembly election sees 37.06% voter turnout by 11 a.m., with 9.50 lakh electors participating amid some reported incidents.

Voters in large numbers thronged polling stations in Puducherry from early morning on Thursday (April 9, 2026) to elect a new 30-member Legislative Assembly. At 7 a.m., when polling began, long queues of women, young and old were witnessed at several booths across this former French enclave.

Also read: Puducherry election 2026 LIVE

Within the first four hours, as much as 37.06% of voters had turned up at polling booths. The Union Territory recorded 82.2% polling in the 2021 Assembly elections. As many as 9.50 lakh electors, spread across the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, are expected to participate as polling advances during the day.

Those who exercised their franchise early in the day included Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan, his wife Beena, his mother Leela, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, BJP leader and Mannadipet candidate A. Namassivayam, DMK Puducherry convenor and Villianur candidate R. Siva, and BJP Puducherry president and Raj Bhavan candidate V.P. Ramalingam.

Lt. Governor K. Kailashnathan casting his vote | Photo Credit: R. Ragu

Allegations of voter inducement and a minor scuffle were reported from two constituencies during the early hours of polling. Allegations of voter inducement through the distribution of gift tokens surfaced in the Bahour Assembly constituency, where DMK sitting member Senthil Kumar is pitted against AINRC candidate T. Thiagarajan. A group dumped the gift tokens near a polling booth and fled the scene. An election flying squad seized the tokens.