Puducherry Exit Polls 2021 Live Updates: Republic-CNX poll projects NDA's victory

The NDA is projected to have the largest vote-share of 45.51%. Vote share of the present NDA alliance is more than UPA in 2016 as all the 3 parties of the NDA including AINRC, BJP and AIDMK contested 2016 assembly elections separately. Here is the predicted vote share- 

• NDA: 45.51%
• SDA: 40.02%
• Others: 14.47%

N Rangasamy-led AINRC is projected to emerge as the single-largest party followed by the Congress and the DMK which are projected to win 5-7 seats each.

NDA

• BJP: 03-05
• AIADMK:02-04
• AINRC:10-12

SDA

• Congress:05-07
• DMK:05-07

Others: 0

The Puducherry Assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 6 simultaneously with the Tamil Nadu and Kerala assembly elections. The counting of votes for the 30-seat assembly and the results will be declared on May 2. The polling took place across 1,558 polling stations, including 952 main and 606 auxiliary polling stations in 635 locations where a total of 10,04,507 electors were open to exercise their right to vote. The Union Territory saw a voter turnout of 81.70 per cent after 10,04,197 voters across 30 constituencies exercised their franchise. The UT is witnessing a battle between the Congress-DMK alliance and the BJP, AIADMK, AINRC-led NDA alliance. The fate of 324 candidates across 30 Assembly segments including five reserved constituencies will be decided on May 2. 

Witnessing a battle between alliances helmed by two national parties, the Republic-CNX Exit Poll has predicted a close competition in Puducherry projecting the BJP-led NDA to bag close to 16-20 seats, just crossing the halfway mark in the 30-seat assembly constituency. The Congress-led SDA is expected to give a tough fight to the BJP, and as per the Republic-CNX Exit Poll is projected to hit somewhere between the 11-13 mark. Others are expected to win no seats. 

• NDA: 16-20
• SDA: 11-13
• Others: 0 

In the previous elections in 2016, the election brought a change of power as the All India N.R. Congress (AINRC), which had formed the government under N. Rangaswamy, lost its majority to the Indian National Congress (INC), led by V. Narayanasamy. In the previous elections in 2016 Indian National Congress (INC) emerged as Single Largest Party with 15 seats, with the support of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) the government was formed. 

The SDA alliance consists of Congress, contesting 15 seats, followed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which will fight on 13 seats along with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), each of which will be contesting on one seat.

For NDA, the NR Congress (AINRC) is contesting 16 of the 30 seats, while the BJP is contesting on 9 seats and AIADMK with 14. Notably, AINRC chief N Rangasamy is also contesting from Thattanchavady apart from Yanam from NDA's camp. BJP Puducherry president V Swaminathan is seeking election from the Lawspet constituency.

Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party is also contesting on seats in Puducherry.

Among some other prominent faces facing the ballot are Congress' P Selvanadane who is contesting from the Kardirgamam assembly seat, M Kannan from Indira Nagar, Karthikeyan from Oussudu, and Ramesh Preambath from Mahe. Gollapalli Srinivas Ashok, an independent candidate supported by Congress in Yanam, is a prominent face beside R Siva of the DMK.

This year, all eyes will be on the Puducherry Assembly Elections 2021 since they were held months after the Congress-DMK government collapsed in the UT after failing to prove their majority. 

Earlier, Puducherry was ruled by the Congress-led Secular Democratic Alliance (SDA) with V Narayanasamy at the helm as the Chief Minister. However, weeks before the assembly's tenure was to end, crisis struck the Congress as opposition leader N Rangasamy and 13 other MLAs called on Raj Nivas and submitted a letter claiming that the Narayanasamy-led government has lost majority. This came after four Congress MLAs - A Namassivayam, E Theeppainjan, John Kumar, Malladi Krishna Rao tendered their resignations.

Moreover, another MLA, N Dhanavelou was disqualified while Namassivayam and Theeppainjan had already jumped ship to join the saffron camp. The turbulent political crisis further escalated when Leader of Opposition N Rangasamy met L-G Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan along with AIADMK MLA A Anbalagan and nominated MLA V Saminathan. The three leaders requested the L-G to direct the incumbent government to prove its majority on the floor of the House. 

However, the Congress government in Puducherry eventually collapsed as it garnered the support of just 12 legislators. The Congress on its part has blamed the BJP for the nomination of three of its MLAs to the house, threats of probe through Central agencies and sparking crisis by luring some legislators as being responsible for the collapse.