Puducherry exit polls: NDA projected at 16–25 seats, set to retain power; Congress trails at 4–12

Exit poll projections for the 2026 Assembly Elections in Puducherry indicate a clear advantage for the ruling All India NR Congress (AINRC)-led NDA, with most agencies suggesting the alliance is set to retain power.

The ‘poll of exit polls’ projects NDA at 20 seats, comfortably above the majority mark of 16. The projections suggest that Chief Minister N Rangaswamy’s leadership continues to hold voter support, while the Congress-led alliance is seen struggling to recover ground.

At the same time, actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is expected to make a modest entry, with estimates ranging up to 2–4 seats in some surveys.

Agency-wise projections show Praja Poll estimating NDA at 19–25 seats, Congress at 6–10 and no seats for TVK or others. Kamakhya Analytics projects NDA at 17–24, Congress at 4–7, TVK at 1–2 and others at 0–1. Axis My India estimates NDA at 16–20, Congress at 6–8, TVK at 2–4 and others at 1–3. People’s Pulse projects NDA at 16–19, Congress at 10–12, with no seats for TVK and others at 1–2. The poll of exit polls places NDA at 20 seats, Congress at 8, TVK at 1 and others at 1.

The 2021 Assembly election had marked a major political shift in Puducherry, when the NDA, led by AINRC in alliance with the BJP, defeated the Congress-led UPA.

The alliance secured a majority with 16 seats (AINRC 10, BJP 6), bringing N Rangaswamy back as Chief Minister for a fourth term. The Congress was reduced to 2 seats, while its ally DMK won 6 seats. That mandate also marked the BJP’s first participation in a ruling government in South India outside Karnataka.