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EC Reviews Security for Free, Fair Puducherry 2026 Assembly Polls

The Election Commission has reviewed security and directed officials in Puducherry to ensure free, fair, and fearless Assembly elections scheduled for April 9, 2026. The final electoral roll shows 9,48,977 electors, with a notable majority of women voters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sharply criticized opposition parties, alleging they lack a development vision and want to use the Union Territory as an "ATM." The political landscape remains competitive, recalling the AINRC's lead in the 2021 elections against a backdrop of historically high voter turnout.

Key Points: EC Ensures Free, Fair Puducherry Elections 2026

  • EC directs officials for impartial polls
  • Final electoral roll has ~9.5 lakh voters
  • PM Modi alleges opposition wants "WEAK" Puducherry
  • 2021 polls saw AINRC as largest party
  • Voter turnout historically over 83%
2 min read

Free, fair, fearless: EC reviews security ahead of Puducherry elections

Election Commission directs officials for impartial 2026 Puducherry polls. PM Modi criticizes opposition's vision as voter data released.

"While the NDA is working towards BEST Puducherry, the Opposition has no vision for Puducherry's progress. - Narendra Modi"

Puducherry, April 4

The Election Commission has directed administrative and police officials in the Union Territory of Puducherry to ensure the conduct of free, fair, and fearless Assembly elections scheduled for April 9, 2026.

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Puducherry, in a high-level review, emphasised that all officers engaged in election duty are deemed to be on deputation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and must discharge their duties with strict impartiality.

According to official data from the CEO of Puducherry, the final electoral roll published for the 2026 polls includes 9,48,977 electors. The voter demographics show a significant female presence with 5,03,076 women voters compared to 4,45,761 men, alongside 140 third-gender voters.

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 each won six seats.

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.

As the date of polls draws near, top brass leadership from prominent parties have sharpened their campaign and attacks on the opposition.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the opposition parties lack a clear vision for developing the Union Territory and are more focused on political control.

Sharing an X post, PM Modi alleged that the rival parties want to use Puducherry as an ATM."While the NDA is working towards BEST Puducherry, the Opposition has no vision for Puducherry's progress. They want to use Puducherry as an ATM and ensure it is ruled by the High Command in Delhi instead of listening to the will of the people," he wrote.

"A few days ago, I was interacting with the BJP booth workers of Puducherry. One of our Karyakartas put it very well when he said that the Opposition's agenda is to create a WEAK Puducherry," he added.

Elaborating on the acronym, PM Modi said, "By WEAK, he meant: W- Worst Governance; E- End of Development; A- Against People, K- Kill Economy."

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul R
The PM's "ATM" comment is a bit harsh, but he has a point. We've seen how some parties treat states and UTs just as a source of funds and power. Puducherry needs development, not just political games. Hope the EC ensures a level playing field.
S
Sarah B
Interesting data! More women voters than men. That's a powerful statistic. I hope all parties are addressing issues that matter to women voters - safety, healthcare, employment. That could decide the election.
A
Aman W
Respectfully, while security is important, the focus seems more on political rhetoric than on the EC's actual preparations. The article is dominated by PM's speech. What about details of security deployment, model code enforcement? That's what "free and fair" means on the ground.
K
Kavya N
The WEAK acronym is catchy politics, but Puducherry voters are smart. They'll look at what each alliance has actually delivered. The swing from Congress in 2016 to AINRC in 2021 shows they vote for performance. Let's hope for a peaceful polling day.
V
Varun X
As a former resident, Puducherry's unique culture needs to be preserved while developing. Hope whichever party wins focuses on sustainable tourism and clean governance. The high voter turnout shows people care deeply about their UT's future.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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