New Delhi: Polling for the 2026 Assembly elections in Puducherry began at 7 am on Wednesday and the polling booth of VOC Public School was unusually eye-catching as a robot named ‘Nila’ welcomed the voters who came to cast their votes.Robots dressed up in costumes held flower trays to welcome voters to vote.Around 9.5 lakh voters are eligible to decide the fate of 294 candidates in 30 constituencies in Puducherry and its enclaves Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Polls are currently being conducted at 1,099 sites, of which 209 have been identified as vulnerable, officials said. Special arrangements include 30 all-women polling stations and 15 polling stations manned by young police officers.The election will be a direct contest between Chief Minister N Rangasamy’s AINRC-BJP-led NDA and the Congress-DMK alliance. A crucial contest is in Thattanchavady, where Rangasamy is up against former chief minister V Vaithilingam.Key issues include long-pending demands for statehood, unemployment and water pollution. The addition of Tamiraja Vetri Kazhagam is also seen as a factor that could affect the outcome. Counting is scheduled for May 4.
