Puducherry: Amidst unprecedented security to preempt any violence, polling for the Nellithope by-election which will seal the fate of 8 candidates including Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, will begin Saturday morning.
A total of 31,366 voters will exercise their franchise in about 26 polling stations from 7 am to 6 pm. CM and Congress candidate V. Narayanasamy, AIADMK candidate and two-time legislator Om Sakthi Sekar are in the fray.
For Chief Minister Narayanasamy and Congress party this will be the most difficult election coming as the result would have a sustainable impact on the stability of the Congress government in the state. If Narayanasamy wins, this will be a validation of his government's 'people-friendly' policies and his image, but if it loses, he could be staring at a grim future. AIADMK is fully aware of the importance of the election result which can even change the political balance in the house, did a high profile and intense campaign in the constituency.
Voting
The result of the 2016 assembly polls in which Congress party won the Nellithope constituency by a margin of 12,141votes and the fact that Narayanasamy was able to poll 11,844 votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha election in Nellithope constituency alone, could favour him in this election.
AIADMK candidate who was able to win in Nellithope constituency defeating DMK heavyweight and former CM R.V. Janakiraman in 2006 and retained the seat in 2011. AIADMK leadership reposed faith in his ability to take on big shots and believe that he could do a 'giant killing' act in this election too.
Nellithope had witnessed one of the most aggressive campaigns Puducherry had ever seen, with both parties raising allegations of bribing and threatening the voters against each other throughout the electioneering.
Heavy police force has been deployed for the by-poll where police pickets, each headed by an executive magistrate and comprising 10 India reserve battalion personnel, have been deployed in the constituency. Thirteen locations bordering the constituency have been sealed.
