Puducherry: As Puducherry gears up for the asembly polls on Thursday, chief electoral officer P Jawahar said the Election Commission of India expected more than 90% polling. He told reporters on Wednesday, Puducherry recorded 82.2% polling in the 2021 assembly polls. After SIR, about 8% voters were removed from the electoral list in 2026, which is likely to increase the overall turnout, he said. Jawahar said a delegation of nine officials from six countries – Kyrgyzstan, Ivory Coast, Moldova, Mongolia, Guyana, and Bhutan- have arrived in Puducherry to observe the polling process at select stations. Explaining the measures taken to ensure a free and fair election, Jawahar said the election department has so far seized 8.4 crore worth of gold valuables, liquor, and freebies besides cash intended to lure voters. Nine govt servants have been suspended for participating in political activities and initiated disciplinary action against another nine govt servants for their involvement in political activities. He said the election machinery has launched the Meipporul 2.0 application to combat “fake news” and misinformation. He urged citizens to follow the mantra: “Think, verify and act.” Already, 113 misleading social media posts have been removed by the cybersecurity wing. The department has resolved 76 out of 84 complaints within the 100-minute deadline via the C-Vigil app, he said. AINRC-led NDA coalition govt is seeking a second consecutive term in Puducherry, which has 30 constituencies – 23 in Puducherry, five in Karaikal and one each in Mahe and Yanam. Jawahar said there are 9.5 lakh voters – 5.03 lakh women, 4.46 lakh men and 140 third gender.
