Voting for the Puducherry Assembly elections began on a high note this Thursday, with BJP State President and Raj Bhavan constituency candidate V.P. Lalingam being among the early voters. After casting his ballot at a polling station in Heritage Town, Lalingam expressed supreme confidence in the NDA’s victory, citing infrastructure development and job creation as their winning factors.

Adding a futuristic touch to the elections, a humanoid robot named ‘Neela’ was deployed at the VOC Government School polling station to welcome voters. Dressed in a traditional saree, the robot interacted with people in Tamil and English, encouraging them to vote. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge also urged citizens, especially the youth, to exercise their franchise in record numbers. With over 10 lakh voters participating across 30 seats, the fate of Puducherry will be sealed today, with results scheduled for May 4th.