Polling commenced at 7 am on Monday in the Union Territory of Puducherry. Despite heavy rain voters turned up at the booths armed with Electoral Photo Identity cards as well as voter slips issued by the election authorities.
Puducherry which went to polls on Monday to elect the 30 member new Assembly saw 80.17 per cent polling by 5 pm. There are 344 contestants vying under formations led by the All India NR Congress, the DMK-Congress front, the AIADMK, the PMK and the BJP.
The UT comprises Puducherry and its enclaves Yanam in Andhra Pradesh and Mahe and Karaikal. The EC officials said Puducherry registered 80.17 per cent polling, Karaikal 65.49 per cent, Mahe 64.83 per cent and Yanam 77.63 per cent.
The 9.41 lakh voters, of whom 4.94 lakh are women, are spread over the 30 segments on Monday decided the electoral and political prospects of the contestants.