Puducherry assembly election 2021: Voting in 30 constituencies today, 324 candidates in fray

Puducherry: The polling for 30 assembly seats in the Union Territory will commence today (April 6). Puducherry will vote in a single phase and the election will be a keen contest between the AINRC-led NDA and Congress-led Secular Democratic alliance.

As many as 10,02,589 electors will exercise their right to vote in the 15 legislative Assembly of the Union Territory to decide the fate of 324 candidates in fray.

Security arrangements are being closely monitored by the Election Commission, which also announced that one all-women polling station is being set up in each Assembly constituency. "The DEO, #Puducherry inspecting the Model Polling Station at the Petit Seminaire School, Moolakulam. Overall, there are 30 Model Polling Stations, 1 in each Constituency, and 28 All-Women Polling Stations for #PuducherryElections2021," tweeted the Election Commission of India. 

For the elections, as many as 1,558 polling stations, including 952 main and 606 auxiliary polling stations, have been set up in the Union Territory in 635 locations.

The Congress-led alliance consists of Congress, contesting 15 seats, followed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which will fight on 13 seats along with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), each of which will be contesting on one seat.The NR Congress (AINRC) is contesting 16 of the 30 seats, while the BJP is contesting on 9 seats and AIADMK with 14.

Earlier, the District Collector of Puducherry, Purva Garg on March 31 informed that polling will start from 7 am and shall go on till 7 pm, with the last one hour dedicated for COVID-19 positive patients to cast their votes. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

(With ANI inputs)