Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy adhered to tradition by riding his beloved motorcycle to the polling booth in Thilaspet to cast his vote as the Union Territory participated in the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Arriving on a black Yamaha RX100 model bike, Rangasamy, known for his preference for commuting via motorcycle rather than his official car, was greeted by party supporters as he made his way to the polling booth.
Following casting his vote, Rangasamy paid a visit to the Appa Paithiam Sami temple in Gorimedu, accompanied by BJP’s candidate A Namassivayam. Namassivayam is contesting against Congress candidate V Vaithilingamn for the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat, with Menaka from Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and G Thamizhvendan from AIADMK also in the race.
#WATCH | Riding a motorcycle, Puducherry CM N. Rangasamy arrived at a polling booth in Delarshpet, Puducherry to cast his vote #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/A2EnQtf117
— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2024
The voting process commenced for all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the sole constituency in Puducherry earlier in the day. Notably, Puducherry stands out as the only seat in the Union Territory where female voters outnumber male voters.
Local residents expressed that there is a fierce competition between the BJP and Congress candidates. Additionally, they highlighted essential demands such as access to toilets, drinking water, and shelters to combat the scorching sun, along with the need for development.
The primary issue at the forefront for the locals is the demand for statehood. While BJP leaders asserted during the campaign that the Congress had made little progress towards granting full statehood to Puducherry during its decades-long tenure at the Centre, Congress leaders countered by pointing to the ‘Nyay Patra’ or manifesto, which promises full statehood for the Union Territory.
Despite the general perception that neither party is fully committed to advancing the statehood agenda, political tension remains high as both sides engage in spirited debates and accusations during the campaign trail.
