Puducherry assembly elections 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Chief Minister N Rangasamy, held a grand roadshow in Puducherry on Friday. The roadshow was held from Ajanta signal point to the Kamarajar statue-Raja theatre signal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a massive roadshow in Puducherry, seeking support for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the April 9 assembly elections. The prime minister was joined by Chief Minister N Rangasamy and union territory's Home Minister A Namassivayam. 

The grand roadshow was held between the Ajanta signal point and the Kamarajar statue-Raja theatre signal, which is a distance of around two kilometres, and was concluded in around an hour. As the roadshow was being held, PM Modi witnessed several cultural shows and traditional dance programmes, which added more colour to the event.

Many supporters had gathered for the roadshow, with people waving the flags of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India NR Congress (AINRC). The BJP-AINRC combine is confident that the prime minister's visit and the roadshow will help the alliance retain power in the union territory for a second consecutive time.

"Today’s roadshow in Puducherry was phenomenal. The people of Puducherry have clearly decided to re-elect the NDA Government so that we can keep working towards our vision of creating BEST Puducherry. What was noteworthy was the presence of our Nari Shakti and Yuva Shakti in large numbers during the roadshow," said PM Modi on X. 

Earlier in the day, PM Modi received a rousing welcome from BJP supporters upon his arrival in Puducherry, with many even chanting slogans such as 'Jai Shree Ram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. They even showered flowers at his convoy, showing their support.

AINRC-BJP combine hopes to retain power
The AINRC-BJP combine is expecting to retain power in Puducherry where assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9. BJP leaders believe PM Modi's visit will further motivate the party workers and garner support for the alliance. Earlier this week, the prime minister had also virtually interacted with BJP workers, urging them to take party's message to every youth.

He had even slammed the DMK-Congress alliance, saying they are fighting among themselves. "Despite their (Congress-DMK) ongoing conflicts, their behaviour remains unchanged. They are well aware that the people of Puducherry will not give them another opportunity," he told BJP workers.

As per the seat-sharing agreement, the AINRC and the BJP will contest on 16 and 10 constituencies, respectively. The alliance also comprises the AIADMK and Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK), who have been allotted two seats each. 

The election results in Puducherry will be declared on May 4.