NDA Projected for Second Term in Puducherry as Axis My India Exit Poll Shows 16 to 20 Seats

The political winds in the Union Territory of Puducherry appear to be favoring the status quo as the 2026 Assembly elections concluded with a high voter turnout of nearly 90%. Exit poll results released on April 29, 2026, suggest that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy’s All India NR Congress (AINRC) and the BJP, is on track to secure a second straight term. The Axis My India exit poll projects the NDA winning between 16 and 20 seats in the 30-member Assembly, effectively reaching the majority mark of 16 seats. Other polls, like Praja Poll, give the alliance an even more comfortable cushion with up to 25 seats.

The opposition alliance, comprising the Congress and DMK, appears to have struggled to capitalize on anti-incumbency. Projections for the Congress-led bloc range from a low of 4 to a high of 12 seats, indicating a significant gap between them and the ruling coalition. This shift suggests that the electorate may have prioritized stability and the development initiatives of the AINRC-BJP government over the opposition's campaign promises. The exit polls also highlight the limited impact of actor-politician Vijay’s TVK party, which made its first electoral foray outside Tamil Nadu but is projected to win only between zero and four seats.

A critical analysis of these projections reveals that the BJP’s strategy to emerge as a dominant player in the Union Territory is yielding results, with the party expected to secure 4 to 6 seats on its own according to Axis My India. This performance, if mirrored in the final results on May 4, would solidify the BJP's presence in a region historically dominated by regional parties and the Congress. The emergence of a "third dimension" through TVK added a layer of competitiveness to many seats, potentially splitting the opposition vote and further aiding the NDA’s path to victory.

While exit polls are not final results, the consistency across various agencies—including Praja Poll and Kamakhya Analytics—points toward a decisive trend in favor of the NDA. The high voter turnout of 89.83% reflects a highly engaged electorate, and the fragmented nature of the contest in several constituencies suggests that the final margin of victory in individual seats could be very thin. As Puducherry awaits the official count, the current projections provide a strong indication that Chief Minister N. Rangasamy is poised to lead the Union Territory for another five years, maintaining the NDA's footprint in southern India