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Puducherry CM Rangaswamy Votes, Makes Stylish Bike Exit; Confident of Win

Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangaswamy cast his vote in the ongoing Assembly Elections, continuing his long-standing tradition of riding his motorcycle to the polling booth. He expressed confidence in winning from both the Thattanchavady and Mangalam constituencies he is contesting, emphasizing that forming the government is his primary goal. The election in the Union Territory features a contest primarily between the ruling NDA alliance and the Congress-DMK led INDIA bloc, with actor Vijay's party also in the fray. Voter turnout data showed 17.41% participation by 9 AM, with over 10 lakh electors eligible to vote for 30 assembly seats.

Key Points: Puducherry CM Rangaswamy Votes, Predicts Victory in Assembly Polls

  • CM voted in Puducherry Assembly Elections
  • Arrived on his trademark motorcycle
  • Confident of winning both seats he contests
  • Voter turnout at 9 am was 17.41%
  • Counting of votes scheduled for May 4
2 min read

"More than numbers, forming government is important to me": Puducherry CM Rangaswamy cast vote; makes stylish exit on bike

CM N Rangaswamy casts vote in Puducherry polls, arrives on his cherished motorcycle. He expresses confidence in winning and forming the government.

"In both constituencies, I will win. More than numbers, forming the government is important to me. - N Rangaswamy"

Puducherry, April 9

Puducherry Chief Minister and All India NR Congress founder, N Rangaswamy, cast his vote for the ongoing Puducherry Assembly Elections, maintaining his long-standing tradition of riding his motorcycle to the polling booth. The CM is contesting from the Thattanchavady and Mangalam Assembly constituencies.

Speaking to the media after casting a vote, he said, "In both constituencies, I will win. More than numbers, forming the government is important to me."

Rangaswamy offered prayers at the Sri Sarguru Appa Paithiyam Swamigal Thirukovil Temple in Thattanchavady before heading to vote.

Puducherry CM has been associated with motorcycles since 1991, the year he first won from Thattanchavady after an unsuccessful attempt in 1990. He arrived for voting in his trademark bike, which he has cherished for decades. Even in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he rode a bike to the polling station in Delarshpet (Thilaspet) to cast his vote.

The CM's habit of riding his bike to the polling booth has earned him nicknames such as "Junior Kamaraj" and "Makkal Mudhalvar" (People's CM).

Meanwhile, voter turnout at 9 am on Thursday in the Union Territory of Puducherry showed a voter turnout of 17.41 per cent. Polling for high-stakes electoral battles in two States and a Union Territory began on Thursday at 7 am.

In Puducherry, 10,14,070 electors are eligible to cast their votes for 30 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The electorate includes 5,39,125 female voters, 4,74,788 male voters, and 157 voters belonging to the third gender category. A total of 24,156 voters fall in the age group of 18-19 years, while 6,034 voters belong to the senior citizen category, aged 85 and above.

In Puducherry, the contest involves the ruling NDA, which includes the All India NR Congress, the BJP and the Congress-DMK alliance. Actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is seeking to make it triangular.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) includes the All India NR Congress (AINRC) led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, which is contesting 16 assembly constituencies, the BJP contesting 10 seats, and both the AIADMK and LJK, each contesting two seats.

The INDIA bloc includes Congress, which is contesting 16 assembly constituencies, and the DMK, contesting 14 seats. VCK, which is part of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in Tamil Nadu, has decided to contest on three assembly seats in Puducherry independently after being offered only one.

The current term of the 30-member Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory is set to expire on June 15. The counting of votes will be held on May 4.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting tradition. It's good to see leaders maintaining personal rituals. However, I hope the focus remains on governance and development outcomes, not just the symbolism of the bike ride. The "forming government" comment suggests the priority is power.
P
Priya S
He offered prayers at the temple and then went to vote. This is our culture. A leader who remembers his roots. Good to see such humility. All the best to him from a Tamilian sister! 💐
V
Vikram M
Contesting from two constituencies? That's a bit much, no? Shouldn't one seat be enough if you're confident? Hope the people's mandate is clear. The alliance math seems complicated there.
A
Ananya R
Style and substance! The bike is iconic, but what matters is his work. Puducherry needs stable governance. Hope whichever alliance forms the government works for the UT's progress. The voter turnout details are quite detailed, good to see.
K
Karthik V
"Junior Kamaraj" is a big title to live up to! Kamaraj was a legend of simplicity. If Rangaswamy is even half as dedicated to public service, Puducherry is in good hands. Let's see what happens on May 4th!

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