Puducherry, April 9 Puducherry witnessed brisk polling on Thursday, with 72.4% of the electorate casting their votes by 3 pm, according to the Election Commission.
As the NDA is striving to retain power, the opposition Congress-led alliance is pushing to wrest control from the AINRC-led front in the union territory, focusing its campaign on local autonomy and administrative friction.
From the start of voting at 7 am, there was a steady increase in voter turnout in Puducherry and its enclaves of Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam. There are 9.5 lakh voters spread across 30 constituencies in the four regions.
AINRC chief and Chief Minister N Rangaswamy, Home Minister A Namassivayam, and Congress leader V Narayanasamy were among the early voters.