The All-India NR Congress (AINRC) and the BJP combine is comfortably placed to form the next government in Puducherry as it is set to cross the half-way mark in the 30-member Assembly.

As of 8 p.m., the Election Commission of India has announced the results/lead for 27 constituencies. The National Democractic Alliance (NDA) allies — AINRC and BJP — had 12 seats and were leading in three constituencies.

BL03Puducherryresultscol
 

The AINRC had won nine seats and was leading in one seat, while the BJP had won three seats and was leading in two constituencies. The victory marks BJP’s debut in the Union Territory.

Ironically though, AINRC president and former Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy has lost to Independent candidate Gollapalli Srinivas Ashok with a margin of 646 votes. Rangasamy polled 16,228 votes while Srinivas Ashok emerged secured 16,874 votes.

The Congress-DMK-led alliance won in five seats and was leading in two seats in the Puducherry Assembly elections. Independent candidates won three seats and were leading in two seats as of 8 PM. The Congress contested in 14 and DMK in 13 seats in the 30-member assembly, while the rest was shared with smaller alliance partners. In the NDA camp, AINRC contested in 16 seats, while alliance partners BJP and AIADMK contested in nine and five seats, respectively.

In the 2016 Assembly polls, Congress had won 15 seats, the AINRC in eight seats while AIADMK and DMK won four and two Assembly seats, respectively.