Full list of candidates going to polls in Puducherry in second phase of Lok Sabha election 2019

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The electors in the Puducherry Lok Sabha Constituency will cast their votes on April 18 in the second phase of 2019 Lok Sabha election. There are 18 contestants for the Lok Sabha poll and eight candidates for the Thattanchavady by-election.

The polling at Puducherry started at 7:00 am and will end at 6:00 pm. 

The main battle would be between the ruling Congress, which has put up former Speaker V Vaithilingam and the opposition AINRC's K Narayanasamy. R Radhakrishnan of AINRC had won the seat in 2014, defeating Congress nominee V Narayanasamy, who is the chief minister now.

Eighteen candidates are contesting the lone seat in Parliament, including senior Congress leader Vaithilingam, doctor-turned-politician K Narayanasamy (AINRC), former AIADMK MLA M A S Subramanian (Makkal Needhi Maiam), among others. There are also two women contestants in the fray.

All 18 candidates contesting the poll are fresh faces in a parliamentary election through the Congress candidate is a former Chief Minister and former Speaker.

Full list of candidates going to polls in Puducherry in the second phase of Lok Sabha election 2019:

PUDUCHERRY

SL. NO.	Candidate Name	Party Name
1	Dr. NARAYANASAMY KESAVAN	All India N.R. Congress
2	A.G.PATHIMARAJ	Bahujan Samaj Party
3	Ve. VAITHILINGAM	Indian National Congress
4	K.ARUNACHALAM	Agila India Makkal Kazhagam
5	Dr.M.A.S. SUBRAMANIAN	Makkal Needhi Maiam
6	S. THIRUGNANAM	Anti Corruption Dynamic Party
7	BASKARAN.S	Puducherry Development Party
8	MUTHU.U	SOCIALIST UNITY CENTRE OF INDIA (COMMUNIST)
9	S.MOTHILAL	Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation)
10	N.SHARMILA BEGUM	Naam Tamilar Katchi
11	K. RAMADOSS	Independent
12	KRISHNAMURTHY.M	Independent
13	THANGAVELU.S	Independent
14	N. TAMIZH MARANE	Independent
15	TIRAVITAMANKAI@LOURDHUMARY	Independent
16	IMS. BALAJI	Independent
17	RAMESH.D	Independent
18	V. RAMAMURTHI	Independent

At least 10 companies of Central Armed Police force personnel have been deployed in Union Territory to supplement the police personnel already present. 1,850 police personnel have also been deployed and supplement the local police and to strengthen law and order machinery.

At least 222 of the total 970 polling booths have been identified as vulnerable booths. 

The Lok Sabha polls are being held in seven-phases for 543 seats on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19, and counting will be on May 23.