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NDA Eyes Landslide in Puducherry as Opposition Alliance Crumbles

NDA candidate Jose Charles Martin claims the opposition Congress-DMK alliance is tearing itself apart, giving the ruling coalition a decisive edge in the upcoming Puducherry Assembly polls. He confidently predicts the NDA will win more than 25 of the 30 seats. The NDA's seat-sharing pact has been finalized, with AINRC and BJP contesting the majority of constituencies. Voting is set for April 9, with results to be declared on May 4.

Key Points: Puducherry Polls: NDA Confident of Victory Amid Opposition Infighting

  • NDA alliance predicts landslide win
  • Congress-DMK alliance faces internal strife
  • CPI has walked out of opposition bloc
  • Voting scheduled for April 9
  • 2021 elections saw a fractured mandate
2 min read

"Congress, DMK have committed suicide in Puducherry": NDA-alliance candidate Jose Charles Martin

NDA candidate Jose Charles Martin claims Congress-DMK alliance has "committed suicide" through infighting, predicting over 25 seats for the ruling coalition.

"Congress and DMK have committed suicide in Puducherry, and they are almost dead. - Jose Charles Martin"

Puducherry, March 28

Ahead of the Puducherry Assembly polls, Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi founder Jose Charles Martin claimed that there is infighting between the opposition alliance, Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which gives the NDA alliance "a complete edge" for a landslide victory.

Speaking to ANI on Friday, Martin, who is also a candidate from Kamaraj Nagar Constituency, expressed confidence that the NDA can win more than 25 seats in the upcoming 30 constituencies election.

"People have shown great interest. Right now, we can see that Congress and DMK have committed suicide in Puducherry, and they are almost dead. They are going to kill each other. They have done that successfully. There is a huge fight within them. CPI has walked out of the alliance. So, it is sure that the NDA has a complete edge. We can get more than 25 seats for sure," he said.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties in Puducherry earlier announced a seat-sharing agreement, with the All India N R Congress (AINRC) set to contest in 16 constituencies and the BJP on 10 seats. NDA partners AIADMK and Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK) will also contest on two seats each.

Meanwhile, Puducherry Congress president V Vaithilingam released the party's list of 16 candidates, following a seat-sharing agreement finalised between the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) earlier, under which Congress will contest 16 of the 30 seats, while the DMK will contest the remaining 14 constituencies.

Additionally, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has also released the list of 30 candidates for the upcoming 2026 Puducherry Legislative Assembly General Election.

Voting in Puducherry will take place on April 9. Polling in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The counting of votes will be held on May 4, the ECI announced.

The current term of the 30-member Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory is set to expire on June 15.

In the 2021 Puducherry Assembly Elections, AINRC emerged as the largest party with 10 seats, followed by DMK with six seats, while BJP and Congress won six seats each. The voter turnout was recorded at 84.8 per cent.

While in the 2016 elections, Congress had secured a majority with 15 seats, AINRC won eight seats, AIADMK bagged four seats, and DMK got two seats, with voter turnout at 83.6 per cent.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
"Committed suicide" is such a harsh political metaphor. 😬 But the CPI walking out is a big blow for the Congress-DMK front. In a small UT like Puducherry, every seat matters. The alliance arithmetic looks better for NDA right now.
A
Arun Y
As a resident, I just want a stable government. The last term saw a lot of political drama. Whether it's NDA or the other alliance, they should focus on development for Puducherry. Tourism and infrastructure need a big push.
P
Priyanka N
Confidence is good, but predicting 25+ seats seems overly optimistic. The 2021 results were very fragmented. Voters here are unpredictable. Also, TVK contesting all 30 seats could be a spoiler for everyone.
M
Michael C
Interesting to see the dynamics of a Union Territory election. The seat-sharing seems more settled on the NDA side. The key will be if the local AINRC and BJP workers campaign together effectively on the ground.
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Kavitha C
The voter turnout is always high in Puducherry, which is commendable. Ultimately, it's the public that decides who "commits suicide" at the ballot box. Let's hope for a peaceful and fair election. 🙏

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