AINRC-led NDA retains power as Congress alliance falters due to internal feud

The National Democratic Alliance led by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy’s All India N. R. Congress (AINRC) managed to retain power in Puducherry as the actor C. Joseph Vijay led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which managed to win 108 seats in Tamil Nadu, could only be a spoiler in the Union Territory.

Though the NDA lost nearly 5 percentage points in vote share compared with that of 2021, it managed to win 18 of the 30 seats by securing a vote share of 38.7%. The Secular Progressive Alliance led by the Congress, which faced intense fraternal fights within the alliance ahead of the elections, could secure only 31.9%, which was 3 percentage points lower than that in the 2021 elections. The alliance won in six seats.

The TVK, which secured about 35% of vote share in Tamil Nadu, could manage only 18.3% vote share in Puducherry. Despite securing a low vote share, the party and its ally Neyam Makkal Kazhagam won in two and one seats respectively.

The Congress, whose candidates contested even in constituencies allotted to the allies, which led to the DMK, the VCK and CPI (M) openly expressing their discontent, performed poorly in the 22 constituencies where they were in the fray. It managed to win just one seat and secured 23.9% votes in the contested seats, which was nearly ten percentage points lower than 2021 elections. In comparison, the DMK secured 32.9% votes in the seats it contested and won in five seats.

The Naam Tamilar Katchi, which saw its vote share coming down sharply in Tamil Nadu due to the entry of the TVK, witnessed the same in Puducherry as well. It secured a meagre 1.37%, which was about two percentage points lower than 2021.

While the Congress-led and AINRC-led alliances performed similarly in the Puducherry and Karaikal districts, the TVK performed notably better in the 25 constituencies in the Puducherry district, where it recorded all its three victories and secured 19.5% vote share. In contrast, in the five constituencies in Karaikal district, it secured only 12.3% of polled votes. The table below gives a region-wise analysis of seats won and vote share secured.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which was aiming for a bigger role in the union territory saw fewer victories and a drop in its vote share by seven percentage points. The new entrant Latchiya Jananayaka Katchi, whose leader Jose Charles Martin tried hard to remain in the limelight, managed to win from his constituency. His party lost the other seat it contested.