Nation proud of Puducherry’s history of peaceful polls: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday said the country is proud of Puducherry for its history of peaceful elections and high voter participation , expressing confidence that the Union Territory would once again set a benchmark in the upcoming 2026 Assembly polls. The Puducherry Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in April–May 2026 , with the formal notification and polling dates expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Speaking after reviewing poll preparedness with political party representatives and election officials, Kumar said there was unanimous assurance that the elections would be conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner . The last Assembly election recorded an impressive 82 percent turnout . While no specific higher target has been officially announced, the Commission indicated that efforts are underway to encourage even greater participation, especially among young and first-time voters .

The Chief Election Commissioner described the recently completed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a success. The total electorate now stands at 9,44,211 , with women voters numbering around five lakh, outnumbering male voters at approximately 4.43 lakh. He stressed that a clean and accurate electoral roll is the foundation of democracy, ensuring that no eligible voter is excluded and no ineligible name is included.

To improve voter convenience and transparency, the Election Commission has introduced 20 new initiatives . These include colour photographs of candidates on ballot units for easier identification, capping polling stations at 1,200 voters to reduce crowding, and webcasting at all 1,099 polling stations for greater transparency. A unified digital platform, ECINET , has been launched to provide verified election information and counter misinformation.