Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy participated in the 2026 Puducherry Assembly elections and expressed optimism about his party’s success. Rangaswamy, known for arriving at the polling station on his motorcycle, stated, “We will get more seats and surely win the election.” He is contesting from the Thattanchavady and Mangalam Assembly constituencies.
Rangaswamy has a history of serving as Chief Minister during various terms, including from 2001 to 2008, 2011 to 2016, and since 2021. Between 2016 and 2021, he held the position of Leader of the Opposition.
Polling in Puducherry began smoothly with voters turning up steadily at polling stations to cast their ballots for the 30-member Assembly. The current administration in Puducherry is a coalition between the All India N.R. Congress and the BJP. BJP state President V.P. Ramalingame expressed confidence in the NDA’s chances, stating, “NDA is going to form the government.”
The electoral competition in the Raj Bhavan (General) Assembly constituency includes BJP’s Ramalingame, Congress candidate R. Kumaran, and DMK nominee Vignesh Kannan, making it a closely watched race. The Congress party also conveyed optimism about its prospects, emphasizing a desire for a change in governance due to alleged corruption and governance issues under the current BJP-led administration.
Former Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy of the Congress party highlighted the importance of voting, stating, “It is the duty of every citizen of India to go and cast their vote.” Polling, which began at 7 a.m. across 1,099 polling stations, is expected to continue until 6 p.m., with arrangements in place for a peaceful voting process.
