LS 2024 first phase polling: Puducherry Chief Minister Rangaswamy rides bike to polling booth
Apr 19, 2024
Puducherry (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 19 : Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy kept to tradition and rode his trusty motorcycle to the polling booth in Thilaspet to cast his vote as the Union Territory went in to vote in the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Rangasamy rode a black Yamaha RX100 model bike to reach the polling booth in Delarshpet.
The CM, who often prefers to commute using his motorbike over his official car, was surrounded by party supporters as he rode into the polling booth today. 
After casting his vote, Rangasamy visited the Appa Paithiam Sami temple in Gorimedu. Accompanying him was BJP's candidate A Namassivayam.
Namassivayam is pitted agaisnt Congress candidate V Vaithilingamn for the Lok Sabha seat of Puducherry. Menaka from Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and G Thamizhvendan (AIADMK) are also contesting for the seat in this Lok Sabha elections.
Voting for all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the only constituency in Puducherry began this morning.
Puducherry is the only seat in the Union Territory where female voters outnumber male voters.
The locals here said that there is a strong contest between the BJP and Congress candidates.
They also put in front of some demands and basic facilities like toilets, drinking water, and sheds to save from sun heat and development.
The main issue that the locals here prioritise is of the statehood.
The leaders of the ruling BJP, during the bitter campaign trail, claimed the Congress did little in the way of granting full statehood to the UT in the decades it was in power at the Centre.
To this, the Congress leaders countered by saying that the 'Nyay Patra' or manifesto of the grand old party promises full statehood for Puducherry.
However, while the general sense is that neither party is keen on pushing the 'statehood' demand beyond a point, there has been no letting up on the political mud-slinging on the campaign trail as the two parties have been throwing regular punches at each other over a raft of issues.
