Puducherry General Election Results 2019: Congress Wins The Single Lok Sabha Seat

The voting for the single Lok  Sabha constituency in Puducherry was held on April 18, 2019. The Union Territory (UT) went to polls during the second phase of the seven-phased voting. A total voter turnout of 78 per cent was recorded in Puducherry. All India NR Congress (AINRC) has nominated Dr Narayanasamy Kesavan while Indian National Congress (INC) has fielded former Chief Minister V Vaithilingam in 17th Lok Sabha Polls. Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) AG Pathimaraj, MAS Subramaniam of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) – a political outfit floated by actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan is also in the fray in the UT.

In the 16th Lok Sabha Polls, R Radhakrishnan from AINRC had won the Puducherry seat with 2,55,286 votes. The AINRC candidate had defeated V Narayanasamy from INC by a margin of 60,854 votes. It was the first time that a member of a regional party in the UT had won a Lok Sabha seat. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also competed for this seat in the previous election.

V Vaithilingam who is the speaker of Puducherry Legislative Assembly is also the former chief minister of Puducherry. In 1991, he held the post for the first time and was again elected in 2008. Traditionally, the constituency has been a Congress stronghold. The party has won nine out of the thirteen Lok Sabha elections till 2014 in the Union Territory. Retired police officer Kiran Bedi is the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

Pondicherry became a union territory in 1962 after the implementation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of India. This constituency first held elections in 1967. Its name was changed from Pondicherry to Puducherry in 2006. Puducherry Lok Sabha constituency has more female voters than male voters. This constituency is unreserved and the union territory of Puducherry has a literacy rate of 86. The constituency has around 5.13 lakh female voters and 4.29 lakh male voters. The economy of Puducherry is largely dependent on tourism and fisheries.

The Election Commission has declared March 26, 2019, as the last date of filing on nomination from the seat. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 29, 2019. Voting for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections for all the 543 seats was held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19, 2019. The counting of votes for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 is being held on May 23. The results will be held thereafter in the day.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2019 08:06 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).