The 2024 Indian general election in Puducherry resulted in a victory for the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate V. Vaithilingam. According to the election results:
- INC candidate V. Vaithilingam won Puducherry’s sole Lok Sabha seat, securing 426,005 votes (52.73% of the total votes).
- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate A. Namassivayam came in second, receiving 289,489 votes (35.83%).
- The Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate R. Menaga received 39,603 votes (4.90%), while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate G. Thamizhvendan received 25,165 votes (3.11%).
- The margin of victory for the INC candidate was 136,516 votes (16.90%).
- The voter turnout in Puducherry was 78.92%.
The Indian National Congress retained the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat, defeating the BJP and other regional parties in the 2024 general election.
The high voter turnout in Puducherry in 2024 was attributed to several factors:
- Early Morning Voting: Voters started lining up at 6:30 am at several polling booths, indicating enthusiasm and eagerness to exercise their franchise.
- Smooth Polling: Polling was incident-free, with minor glitches in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) promptly rectified, ensuring a smooth voting process.
- First-Time Voters: The high turnout was contributed to by a large number of first-time voters, including students and young individuals. Many of these voters were motivated to participate in the democratic process.
- Senior Citizens and Visually Impaired: Senior citizens and visually impaired individuals, such as 89-year-old Godanthapani and his wife Krishnaammal, also participated in the voting process, showcasing the inclusive nature of the election.
- Campaigning and Awareness: The various political parties and candidates actively campaigned, raising awareness about the importance of voting and the issues at stake, which likely boosted voter turnout.
- Regional Representation: The constituency’s significance in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu and the demand for statehood in Puducherry likely motivated voters to participate in the election.
These factors combined to result in a high voter turnout of 78.90% in Puducherry during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Winning Candidate – Indian National Congress (Puducherry)
| S.No | Parliament Constituency | Winning Candidate | Total Votes | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PUDUCHERRY(1) | VE VAITHILINGAM | 426005 | 136516
|
विजयी अभ्यर्थी – इंडियन नेशनल काँग्रेस (पुडुचेरी)
| क्रम संख्या | संसद निर्वाचन क्षेत्र | विजयी अभ्यर्थी | कुल मत | अंतर(मार्जिन) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | पुडुचेरी(1) | वे वैत्तिलिंगम | 426005 | 136516 |
The 2024 voter turnout in Puducherry was 78.90%, which represents a slight decrease compared to the previous Lok Sabha election in 2019 when the turnout was 81.19%.Some key points on the 2024 Puducherry voter turnout:
- The 78.90% turnout in 2024 still surpassed the national average of 65% for the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
- Among the four regions of Puducherry, the Puducherry region had the highest turnout at 79.69%, followed by Yanam (76.8%) and Karaikal (75.65%). The Mahe region had the lowest turnout at 65.11%.
- Several assembly constituencies in Puducherry recorded over 80% voter turnout, including Bahour (88.76%), Mannadipet, Thirubhuvanai, Oussudu, and others.
- Women voters outnumbered men, with a turnout of 78.78% compared to 78.33% for men.
- While the 2024 turnout was slightly lower than that of 2019, it was still considered high and reflected the continued political engagement of Puducherry’s electorate.
In summary, the 2024 Puducherry Lok Sabha election saw a robust voter turnout of 78.90%, lower than the previous election but still above the national average, indicating sustained political participation in the Union Territory.
