2026 Puducherry Legislative Assembly election

2026 Puducherry Legislative Assembly election

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←  outgoing members
30 [a] of 33 seats in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly 17 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	9,50,311 ( 6.01%) [1]
Turnout	91.23% ( 7.81pp)
Leader N. Rangaswamy V. Vaithilingam Party AINRC INC Alliance NDA SPA Leader since 2011 2023 Leader's seat Thattanchavady Mangalam Thattanchavady Last election 25.85%, 10 seats 15.71%, 2 seats Current seats 10 4 Seats needed 6 12 Current Alliance seats 19 11 Alliance seats needed 5
Map of the assembly constituencies in Puducherry
Incumbent Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy AINRC

Legislative Assembly elections were held in Puducherry on 9 April 2026 to elect all the 30 members of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on 4 May 2026.

Background

Elections to a Legislative Assembly in India are usually held once in five years, and the members of the legislative assembly are directly elected to serve five year terms from single-member constituencies.

The tenure of Puducherry Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on 15 June 2026. ^[2] In the previous assembly elections held in April 2021, the All India N.R. Congress-led National Democratic Alliance formed the state government after winning 16 out of 30 seats in the assembly, with N. Rangaswamy sworn in as the Chief Minister. ^[3]

In the later part of 2025, the Election Commission of India conducted a Special Intensive Revision after 24 years, to revise the electoral rolls. ^[4]

Schedule

The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the election on 15 March 2026. ^[5]

Event	Date
Date for Nomination	16 March 2026
Last date for filing nominations	23 March 2026
Scrutiny of nominations	24 March 2026
Last date for withdrawal of nomination	26 March 2026
Polling	9 April 2026
Counting of votes	4 May 2026
Deadline for the completion of election process	6 May 2026

Voter statistics

According to the Election Commission of India, 9,50,311 voters were eligible to vote in the assembly elections in Puducherry. This includes 4,46,361 male, 5,03,810 female, and 140 third gender voters. ^[1]

Parties and alliances

National Democratic Alliance

National Democratic Alliance seat sharing map

The seat sharing for the National Democratic Alliance was finalised on 20 March 2026. ^[6]

National Democratic Alliance [6]
Party		Flag	Symbol	Leader	Seats
	All India N.R. Congress			N. Rangasamy [7]	16 [6]
	Bharatiya Janata Party			V. P. Ramalingame [8]	10 [6]
	All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam			A. Anbalagan [9]	2 [6]
	Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi			Jose Charles Martin [10]	2 [6]
Total					30

Secular Progressive Alliance

Secular Progressive Alliance seat sharing map

As per the seat-sharing agreement finalised on 23 March 2026, the Indian National Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) agreed to contest in 17 and 13 seats respectively. ^{[11] [12]} However, the Congress had already fielded candidates in five seats allocated to the DMK, which resulted in friendly contests between the two parties in these five constituencies. ^[13]

The DMK allocated one seat from its quota to the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK). However, the VCK announced its exit from the alliance on 24 March 2026 citing seat-sharing disagreements. ^[14] However, on 6 April, the VCK announced that apart from the Oulgret constituency allocated to it, it will support the coalition candidates in the other three seats, where it had already fielded candidates. ^[15]

Secular Progressive Alliance
Party		Flag	Symbol	Leader	Seats
	Indian National Congress			V. Vaithilingam	21 [11] [13]
	Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam			R. Siva	13 [11]
	Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi			Deva Pozhilan [16]	4 [15]
Total					30+8 [b]

TVK–led Alliance

On 22 March 2026, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) announced its candidates for 30 constituencies in Puducherry. ^[17] Subsequently, Neyam Makkal Kazhagam, led by G. Nehru Kuppusamy, joined the TVK-led Alliance and was allocated two seats. ^[18]

TVK-led Alliance
Party		Flag	Symbol	Leader	Seats
	Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam			Vijay [18]	28 [18]
	Neyam Makkal Kazhagam			G. Nehru Kuppusamy [18]	2 [18]
Total					30

SNMMK–AIPTMMK Alliance

On 20 March 2026, the S. Ramadoss-led faction of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, formed an alliance with All India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AIPTMMK), led by V. K. Sasikala, for the assembly elections in Puducherry. ^[19] On 25 March 2026, a seat-sharing agreement was signed between G. Sathiyamoorthy of Sengol Needhi Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and Sasikala of AIPTMMK for the elections. ^{[20] [21]}

SNMMK–AIPTMMK Alliance
Party		Flag	Symbol	Leader	Seats
	Sengol Needhi Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam			Sathiyamurthy	10 [20]
	All India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam			V. K. Sasikala [22]	4 [21]
Total					14

Others

On 7 March 2026, Naam Tamilar Katchi was the first party to announce its candidates for the elections, and announced its intention to contest in 28 of the 30 constituencies in the union territory. ^[23] The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India, which are part of the Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu, withdrew from the alliance and independently fielded candidates in four and two constituencies respectively. ^[13]

Party		Flag	Symbol	Leader	Seats
	Naam Tamilar Katchi			Seeman [24]	28 [23]
	Communist Party of India (Marxist)			S. Ramachandran [25]	4 [13]
	Communist Party of India			A. M. Saleem [26]	2 [13]

Candidates

District	No.	Constituency	NDA			SPA			TVK+
			Party		Candidate	Party		Candidate [c]	Party		Candidate
Puducherry	1	Mannadipet		BJP	A. Namassivayam		INC	T. P. R. Selvame		TVK	K. Bharathithasan
	2	Thirubuvanai (SC)		AINRC	B. Kobiga		DMK	P. Angalane		TVK	A. K. Sai J. Saravanan Kumar
	3	Ossudu (SC)		BJP	E. Theeppainthan		INC	P. Karthikeyan		TVK	S. Saraganabava
	4	Mangalam		AINRC	N. Rangasamy		DMK	S. S. Rangan		TVK	M. K. Sathia Manikkavasagane
	5	Villianur		AINRC	Ravikumar		DMK	R. Siva		TVK	R. Ramesh
	6	Ozhukarai		AINRC	K. Narayanasamy		VCK	Selva. Pushpalatha		TVK	Sasibalan
	7	Kadirkamam		AINRC	K. S. P. Ramesh		DMK	P. Vadivelu		TVK	Jayanthi Rajavelu
	8	Indira Nagar		AINRC	A. K. D. Arumugam		INC	N. Rajakumar		TVK	S. Mourougane
	9	Thattanchavady		AINRC	N. Rangasamy		INC	V. Vaithilingam		NMK	E. Vinayagam
	10	Kamaraj Nagar		LJK	Jose Charles Martin		INC	P. K. Devadoss		TVK	Suman
	11	Lawspet		AINRC	V. P. Sivakolundhu		INC	M. Vaithianathan		TVK	V. Saminathan
	12	Kalapet		BJP	P. M. L. Kalyanasundaram		DMK	A. Senthil Ramesh		TVK	D. Sasikumar
	13	Muthialpet		AINRC	Vaiyapuri Manikandan		INC	M. Rajendran		TVK	J. Prakash Kumar
	14	Raj Bhavan		BJP	V. P. Ramalingame		DMK	Vignesh Kannan		TVK	V. J. Chandran
	15	Oupalam		AIADMK	A. Anbalagan		DMK	Annibal Kennedy		TVK	S. Siva
	16	Orleampeth		AIADMK	A. Gandhi		DMK	S. Gopal		NMK	G. Nehru Kuppusamy
	17	Nellithope		LJK	A. Jayakumar		DMK	V. Karthikeyan		TVK	S. Vigneshwaran
	18	Mudaliarpet		BJP	A. Johnkumar		DMK	L. Sambath		TVK	N. Manibalan
	19	Ariankuppam		AINRC	Aiyappan		INC	D. Vijayalakshmy		TVK	Kumaravelu
	20	Manavely		BJP	Embalam R. Selvam		INC	R. K. R. Anantharaman		TVK	B. Ramu
	21	Embalam (SC)		AINRC	Mohamdaoss		INC	M. Kandaswamy		TVK	V. Tamilselvan
	22	Nettapakkam (SC)		AINRC	Rajavelu		INC	P. Sadasivam		TVK	L. Periasamy
	23	Bahour		AINRC	T. Thiagarajan		DMK	R. Senthilkumar		TVK	N. Dhanavelou
Karaikal	24	Nedungadu (SC)		AINRC	Chandira Priyanga		INC	Dinesh Kumar		TVK	U. Kamaraj
	25	Thirunallar		BJP	G. N. S. Rajasekaran		INC	R. Kamalakannan		TVK	A. Raja Mohamed
	26	Karaikal North		AINRC	P. R. N. Thirumurugan		INC	A. M. Ranjith		TVK	A. Vengadesh
	27	Karaikal South		BJP	M. Arulmurugan		DMK	A. M. H. Nazeem		TVK	K. A. U. Assana
	28	Neravy T. R. Pattinam		BJP	T. K. S. M. Meenatchisundaram		DMK	M. Nagathiyagarajan		TVK	Pranadarti Gareswaran
Mahe	29	Mahe		BJP	A. Dineshan		INC	Ramesh Parambath		TVK	Prijesh M
Yanam	30	Yanam		AINRC	Malladi Krishna Rao		INC	Gollapalli Srinivas Ashok		TVK	Thota Raju

Surveys and polls

Exit polls

Seat projections

Polling agency	Date published					Lead
		NDA	SPA	TVK+	Others

Voter Turnout

Turnout

District	Vote %
Karaikal	86.77%
Mahé	77.41%
Puducherry	90.47%
Yanam	93.35%
Total	91.23%

Results

By alliance or party

Alliance/ Party				Popular vote			Seats
				Votes	%	±pp	Contested	Won	Change
	NDA		All India N.R. Congress				16
			Bharatiya Janata Party				10
			All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam				2
			Latchiya Jananayaka Katchi				2
		Total					30
	SPA		Indian National Congress				21
			Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam				13
			Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi				4
		Total					30 [b]
	TVK+		Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam				28
			Neyam Makkal Kazhagam				2
		Total					30
	Other parties
	Independents
	NOTA
Total					100%	—	—	30	—

By district

District	Seats
		NDA	SPA	TVK+	Others
Puducherry	23
Karaikal	5
Mahe	1
Yanam	1
Total	30

By constituency

District	Constituency		Winner					Runner-up					Margin
	No.	Name	Candidate	Party		Votes	%	Candidate	Party		Votes	%
Puducherry	1	Mannadipet
	2	Thirubuvanai (SC)
	3	Ossudu (SC)
	4	Mangalam
	5	Villianur
	6	Ozhukarai
	7	Kadirkamam
	8	Indira Nagar
	9	Thattanchavady
	10	Kamaraj Nagar
	11	Lawspet
	12	Kalapet
	13	Muthialpet
	14	Raj Bhavan
	15	Oupalam
	16	Orleampeth
	17	Nellithope
	18	Mudaliarpet
	19	Ariankuppam
	20	Manavely
	21	Embalam (SC)
	22	Nettapakkam (SC)
	23	Bahour
Karaikal	240	Nedungadu
	250	Thirunallar
	269	Karaikal North
	27	Karaikal South
	28	Neravy T. R. Pattinam
Mahé	29	Mahe
Yanam	30	Yanam

Notes

1. Three members are nominated by the Lieutenant Governor.
2. Friendly contests in eight constituencies.
3. The constituent parties of the Secular Progressive Alliance are engaged in a friendly fight in eight constituencies. This lists only the officially recognised candidates in the respective seats allocated to the constituent parties as per the seat sharing agreement between them.

References

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2. "Term of the Houses". Election Commission of India . Archived from the original on 7 August 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
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6. "Puducherry Assembly Polls: AINRC, BJP Seat Sharing Deal". Deccan Herald . 20 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
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16. "VCK workers stage demonstration". The Hindu . 5 March 2025. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 28 November 2025.
17. "புதுச்சேரி தேர்தலுக்கான த.வெ.க. வேட்பாளர் பட்டியல் வெளியீடு" [TVK releases candidate list for Puducherry elections]. Daily Thanthi (in Tamil). 22 March 2026. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
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20. "புதுச்சேரியில் செங்கோல் நீதி மக்கள் முன்னேற்றக் கழகத்துடன் சசிகலாவின் புதிய கட்சி கூட்டணி..!" [Sasikala Joined hands with another party in Puducherry]. Dinakaran (in Tamil). 25 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
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