Puducherry, April 9 (NationPress) Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy of Puducherry cast his vote in the 2026 Assembly elections on Thursday, radiating confidence that his party would achieve a decisive win.

Sticking to his customary routine, Rangaswamy arrived at the polling station on his motorcycle. After voting, he shared with IANS, “We are set to gain more seats and undoubtedly triumph in the elections.”

Rangaswamy is running for election from the Thattanchavady and Mangalam Assembly constituencies.

This experienced leader has held the Chief Minister position multiple times—serving from 2001 to 2008, 2011 to 2016, and again since 2021. He was the Leader of the Opposition from 2016 to 2021.

Polling began smoothly across Puducherry early in the day, with voters steadily arriving at polling stations to cast their votes for the 30-member Assembly. The union territory has a 33-member Assembly, with 30 representing the electorate.

Currently, Puducherry is governed by a coalition of the All India N.R. Congress and the BJP. As the voting process commenced, BJP state President V.P. Ramalingame expressed optimism regarding the NDA's future.

In a conversation with IANS, Ramalingame stated, “Today marks a significant day. The citizens are showing tremendous interest in voting for our nation. Everything is proceeding excellently. The NDA is set to establish the government.”

Ramalingame is contesting from the Raj Bhavan (General) Assembly constituency, facing competition from Congress candidate R. Kumaran and DMK nominee Vignesh Kannan, making it a closely monitored race.

Conversely, the Congress party has also expressed confidence in its prospects, arguing that voters are seeking a change in governance. The party has accused the current BJP-led administration of rampant corruption and failures in governance.

Congress leader and former Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, after casting his vote, remarked to IANS, “I fulfill my democratic duty by participating in the voting process. It is every Indian citizen's responsibility to cast their vote. In Puducherry, the landscape is very favorable for the INDIA bloc.”

Polling commenced at 7 a.m. across 1,099 polling stations and is scheduled to continue until 6 p.m. Officials have ensured that all necessary arrangements are in place for a peaceful and orderly voting process.

With all major political entities participating, the election is anticipated to be a closely contested affair, as parties vie for control over the Union Territory.