French nationals in Puducherry cast vote in presidential elections

Puducherry: French nationals residing in the union territory of Puducherry (a former French colony) voted in the country's Presidential elections, here on Sunday.

Official sources said 4,564 French citizens from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were eligible to exercise their franchise in the first round of the polls in France.

Sources said the polling began at 8 AM and would go on till 7 PM. Twelve candidates are in the fray. If no candidate gets an absolute majority in the first round, a run-off election would be held between the top two candidates on April 24.

"France offers its citizens abroad who are over 18 years of age and have registered to be in the electoral list in the Consulate General of France here to vote in person in the country of residence, an opportunity to vote in the Presidential election, referendums, legislative elections, European elections and election of Councillors of French citizens abroad," a release said.

While the Puducherry region has two polling booths housed on the premises of Consulate General of France and in the French school Lycee Francaise, Karaikal and Chennai have one polling station each.

A number of young and elderly voters turned up at the booths in the forenoon Sunday.

A 22-year old voter told PTI that she was doing a course in a college affiliated to Pondicherry University and this was the first time that she was exercising her franchise.

Elderly women were also part of those who cast their votes at a booth in the French Consul General office. An 81-year old woman was seen being helped by an autorickshaw driver to reach the polling booth.