PUDUCHERRY: After a first few hours of brisk voting in Puducherry, sparking expectations that the polling percentage would cross 90, the figure settled at 81.64 by the end of the day. Of the 1,934 Covid patients in the region, 510 turned up to vote in accordance with the safety protocol.
The Assembly elections in the Union Territory began at 7 am on Tuesday, except at a few booths, where EVMs suffered glitches that were later rectified. In first four hours, the polling percentage crossed 20, and by 3 pm, it crossed 66. Yanam recorded the highest polling percentage of 91.27, while Raj Bhavan recorded the lowest 73.24.
The Union Territory has 10,04,507 eligible voters, and 1,558 polling booths were set up to ensure not more than 1,000 were at each. A total of 1,558 control units, 1,677 polling units and 1,558 VVPATs were used.
Speaking to the media after voting at the Government Girls French School on Mission Street, former chief minister and senior Congress leader V Narayanasamy said, “We are fighting this election against religious and communal forces. Our promises of loan rebate and government jobs have received a good response.”