78 pct voters turnout registered in Puducherry for lone Lok Sabha seat

Puducherry registered 78 per cent polling in the election to the lone Lok Sabha seat Thursday. Official sources said the Thattanchavady Assembly segment, which also simultaneously went to a by-poll, registered 73 per cent.

The preliminary figures were as of 6 PM at the close of polling, they said adding it was likely to go up. The total voter's strength in the Union Territory is 9,73,160 voters.

Eighteen contestants including former Speaker V Vaithilingam (Congress) and the doctor turned politician K Narayanasamy (AINRC) were in the fray in Lok Sabha poll. The by-election in Thattanchavady Assembly segment involved a fight among eight contestants, including the AINRC candidate P Nedunchezian and DMK candidate K Venkatesan.