Puducherry Assembly poll: Campaigning ends with many constituencies set for multi-cornered contest

Campaigning ends for Puducherry Assembly polls, with a multi-cornered contest emerging as candidates vie for voter support.

As campaigning for Thursday’s Assembly election in Puducherry came to an end on Tuesday evening, reports from the ground suggest that many constituencies have tilted towards an intense multi-cornered contest, with the outcome becoming increasingly unpredictable.

There are a total of 294 candidates — 34 from national parties, 63 State parties, 80 registered unrecognised parties, and 117 Independents — in the fray.

The parties in fray include the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress, All India N.R. Congress (AINRC), Left parties, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and the Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK).

The poll scene in Puducherry was largely dominated by the two fronts — the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the AINRC, the BJP, the AIADMK, and the LJK and the INDIA bloc, comprising the Congress, the DMK, and the VCK.

The Union Territory has 9,50,630 electors spread across the Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam regions.

The electorate size ranged from a minimum of 21,053 (Raj Bhavan constituency) to a maximum of 42,884 (Villianur constituency).