NDA Sweeps Puducherry Polls with 19 Seats as AINRC Dominates
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has secured a clear majority in the Assembly elections in Puducherry , winning 19 out of 30 seats and comfortably crossing the magic figure of 16 seats required to form the government.
Within the alliance, the All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) emerged as the dominant partner, winning 17 seats , while the BJP and smaller allies contributed the remaining seats to the NDA’s total. The result confirms another term for the NDA in the Union Territory.
Early counting trends had already shown a clear advantage for the NDA, with Chief Minister N. Rangasamy leading from the Thattanchavady constituency. As counting progressed, these trends were confirmed, ensuring a comfortable majority in the 30-member Assembly.
Rangasamy is currently serving as Chief Minister and is one of Puducherry’s most experienced political leaders . He has previously held the post from 2001 to 2008, 2011 to 2016, and returned again in 2021. With this mandate, he is set to continue in office, extending his long political career.
The NDA in Puducherry is a coalition comprising AINRC, BJP, and smaller regional allies. By crossing the magic number of 16 seats, the alliance secured continued governance in the Union Territory. The AINRC, founded by Rangasamy in 2011 after leaving the Congress, once again emerged as the backbone of the alliance’s performance.
Previous election (2021) comparison
In the 2021 Assembly elections , the NDA narrowly came to power by winning 16 seats , just reaching the majority mark, while the Congress-led alliance secured 14 seats . That close contest led to a change in government, with Rangasamy becoming Chief Minister again after the formation of the NDA government. The latest election strengthens the NDA’s position further, increasing its tally to 19 seats.
Among key constituency results, Jose Charles Martin won from Kamaraj Nagar, while Vignesh Kannan of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) secured a narrow victory in Raj Bhavan constituency.
The election was conducted across all 30 constituencies of Puducherry, which include Mannadipet, Thirubhuvanai, Oussudu, Mangalam, Villianur, Ozhukarai, Kadirgamam, Indira Nagar, Thattanchavady, Lawspet, Kalapet, Muthialpet, Raj Bhavan, Nellithope, Mudaliarpet, Ariankuppam, Manavely, Embalam, Nettapakkam, Bahour, Karaikal North, Karaikal South, Neravy T.R. Pattinam, Thirunallar, Nedungadu, Mahe, and Yanam.
A major highlight of the election was the debut of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) , founded by actor-turned-politician Vijay , which made an impressive entry by winning two seats .
TVK’s victories came from Manavely, where B. Ramu defeated BJP’s Embalam Selvam, the outgoing Assembly Speaker, and Thirubhuvanai, where Sai J. Saravanan Kumar defeated Congress candidate B. Kobiga.
The election also saw a strong voter turnout of nearly 90 per cent, significantly higher than 81.6 per cent in 2021, reflecting increased voter participation.
Adding a wider political context, Uttar Pradesh minister Suresh Khanna stated that the NDA is expected to form governments in multiple regions, including Puducherry, Assam, and West Bengal. While NDA’s victory in Puducherry is confirmed, his remarks reflect political confidence during ongoing counting trends rather than final outcomes.
With 19 seats secured and AINRC leading decisively with 17, Puducherry is set to continue under a Rangasamy-led government, further consolidating the NDA’s position in the Union Territory.