Puducherry

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday chaired a meeting with office bearers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Puducherry as part of preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in the Union Territory later this year.

Earlier in the day, Shah addressed a public rally in Karaikal, formally launching the BJP’s campaign for the polls. During his speech, he highlighted what he described as the achievements of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Puducherry over the past five years.

He said the administration, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy, had focused on eliminating corruption, ensuring political stability and strengthening the Union Territory’s autonomy.

Shah alleged that the previous Congress government had weakened governance in the region, while the current dispensation had worked to make Puducherry more stable and self-reliant.

Election Preparations Underway

Meanwhile, a seven-member delegation from the Election Commission of India visited Tamil Nadu and Puducherry earlier this week to review preparedness for the forthcoming Legislative Assembly elections.

The team, which included Deputy Election Commissioners such as Bhanwar Prakash, Manish Garg, Pawan Kumar Sharma, Sanjay Kumar and Ashish Goyal, assessed logistical and administrative arrangements in both regions.

Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg told reporters that officials had reached Chennai and Puducherry to evaluate poll readiness.

Political Landscape

Elections will be held for all 30 constituencies of the 16th Puducherry Legislative Assembly.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the NDA secured a simple majority, and N. Rangaswamy of the All India NR Congress was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fourth time.

For the upcoming polls, the Congress is contesting in alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Communist Party of India (CPI). On the other side, the NDA coalition in the Union Territory includes the All India NR Congress, BJP and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

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With campaign activities intensifying, political parties are stepping up outreach efforts ahead of what is expected to be a closely watched contest in the Union Territory.