Puducherry Election Results 2026: NDA to form for 2nd time, AINRC wins 11 seats

Puducherry election results 2026: Riding on a pro-incumbency wave, the AINRC-led NDA emerged victorious in the April 9 Puducherry Assembly elections, all set to form the government for a successive term.

AINRC leader and Chief Minister N Rangasamy won from both the seats that he contested--Thattanchavady and Mangalam, even as the party won a total of 11 seats and was leading in one, according to latest Election Commission figures.

The NDA secured six seats in Puducherry, with the BJP winning four constituencies, while alliance partners AIADMK and LJK claimed one seat each.

Among the BJP winners was senior party leader and incumbent minister A Namassivayam.

The NDA’s performance came on a significant day for regional politics, as actor Vijay-led TVK registered a major breakthrough in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and also won two seats in the Union Territory.

Puducherry, located around 160 km from Chennai, is geographically surrounded by Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore and Villupuram districts.

In the opposition camp, the DMK won five seats while the Congress managed one.

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Chief Minister N Rangasamy retained his stronghold of Thattanchavady, defeating Neyam Makkal Kazhagam candidate E Vinayagam by 4,441 votes. Rangasamy also emerged victorious from Mangalam, where he defeated DMK’s SS Rangan by 7,050 votes.

This is not the first time Rangasamy has contested from two constituencies simultaneously. In the 2021 Assembly elections, he had contested from Yanam and Thattanchavady, winning the latter while losing in Yanam.

Following his latest dual victory, Rangasamy will now have to vacate one of the two seats.

One of the most prominent defeats of the election was that of former Chief Minister V Vaithilingam, who lost to Rangasamy.

ELECTIONS 2026 | WEST BENGAL RESULTS | TAMIL NADU RESULTS | KERALA RESULTS | ASSAM RESULTS | PUDUCHERRY RESULTS

A record turnout that complicates the picture

Puducherry recorded a voter turnout of 89.87 per cent — the highest since it became part of India in 1964. High turnout figures rarely tell a single story, but in a 30-seat assembly where a swing of two or three seats changes the government, that participation level adds an unpredictable dimension to every projection.

The new variable: TVK

What makes 2026 categorically different from 2021 or 2016 is the arrival of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. Actor Vijay's party has stepped into the electoral field for the first time in Puducherry, making several constituencies more competitive and harder to model. Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi adds another layer. In a house of 30, even two or three seats won by new entrants can determine who governs.

Seats and candidates to watch

The most watched contest today was Thattanchavady, where former Chief Minister V Vaithilingam — a politician whose career stretches back to 1980 and who became Puducherry's second-youngest chief minister at 40 — is directly challenging sitting Chief Minister N Rangaswamy of the AINRC.

In Karaikkal South, senior DMK leader AMH Nazeem is seeking to hold a seat he won in 2021 after one of the region's most dramatic near-misses — a loss by just 20 votes in 2016.

Raj Bhavan has turned into one of the most unpredictable multi-cornered contests of this election. BJP state president VP Ramalingam faces rivals from Congress, DMK, NTK, and TVK simultaneously.

In Lawspet, V Saminathan — once the BJP's longest-serving state president — is contesting on a TVK ticket, a switch that has drawn considerable attention. He faces VP Sivakolundhu of the AINRC.

Mudaliarpet sees Minority Affairs Minister A Johnkumar defending his seat on a BJP ticket, while in Mannadipet, A Namassivayam — who resigned from Congress, joined the BJP, and won in 2021 by 2,750 votes — seeks a second consecutive term under the saffron banner.

In Villianur, Leader of Opposition R Siva of the DMK contests again from a seat he has held since 2021, drawing praise from party chief MK Stalin after his last victory.