Puducherry: Voting commenced amid tight security across the union territory of Puducherry on Thursday, April 9, with 9.50 lakh voters set to decide the electoral fortunes of the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc.

Voters lined up enthusiastically before the polling stations in Puducherry, and its enclaves of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam to exercise their franchise. Polling began at 7 am.

The Union Territory has a total of 9.50 lakh voters spread over Puducherry (23 Assembly segments) Karaikal (five), Mahe and Yanam (having one constituency each).

Women voters with a strength of 5.03 lakh outnumber men who account for 4.46 lakh voters

According to officials, the union territory has 1,099 polling stations and of them 209 have been identified as vulnerable and a total of 294 candidates are in the fray.

The NDA led by the AINRC and the INDIA bloc comprising Congress, DMK and the VCK are the two principal alliances in the race and the entry of actor-politician led Vijay’s TVK has led to lot of expectations.

Actor-director Seeman’s NTK is another party which is in the race, determined to make a mark.