Puducherry Elections: CM N Rangaswamy Rides Bike To Cast Vote, Continues Decades-Old Tradition

Puducherry Chief Minister and All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder, N Rangaswamy, continued his trademark tradition of arriving at the polling booth on his motorcycle as he cast his vote in the ongoing Assembly elections.

Contesting from both Thattanchavady and Mangalam constituencies, the veteran leader expressed confidence in his prospects, telling reporters, "In both constituencies, I will win. More than numbers, forming the government is important to me."

Prior to voting, he offered prayers at the Sri Sarguru Appa Paithiyam Swamigal Thirukovil Temple in Thattanchavady. Rangaswamy's association with his motorcycle dates back to 1991, when he first secured victory in Thattanchavady following an unsuccessful attempt the previous year. His bike has since become a symbol of his political journey, earning him affectionate nicknames such as "Junior Kamaraj" and "Makkal Mudhalvar" (People's CM).

Even during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he rode to the polling station in Delarshpet (Thilaspet) to cast his ballot, reinforcing his image as a leader closely connected to the people.
Meanwhile, voter turnout in the Union Territory stood at 17.41 per cent by 9 am on Thursday. Polling began at 7 am across two States and Puducherry, marking the start of high-stakes electoral contests.

In Puducherry, 10,14,070 electors are eligible to vote for 30 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The electorate includes 5,39,125 women, 4,74,788 men, and 157 voters identifying as third gender. Among them, 24,156 are first-time voters aged 18-19, while 6,034 are senior citizens aged 85 and above.

The political battle in Puducherry is shaping up to be a triangular contest. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the AINRC, BJP, AIADMK and LJK, faces the INDIA bloc led by Congress and DMK, with actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) also entering the fray. Within the NDA, Rangaswamy's AINRC is contesting 16 constituencies, the BJP 10, and both AIADMK and LJK two each.

On the other side, Congress is fielding candidates in 16 constituencies, while DMK is contesting 14. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), part of Tamil Nadu's Secular Progressive Alliance, has opted to contest three seats independently in Puducherry after being offered only one.

The current term of the 30-member Legislative Assembly expires on 15 June. Votes will be counted on 4 May, when the final outcome of this closely watched election will be determined. Until then, the focus remains on voter participation and the unfolding contest between established alliances and new entrants.