Shah Launches BJP’s Puducherry Campaign as AINRC Alliance Is Reaffirmed

He pairs governance claims with national-security messaging, setting a 60% vote-share goal.

Overview

At Karaikal, the home minister opened the drive with tributes to 40 CRPF personnel killed in the 2019 Pulwama attack and cited the Balakot airstrike as India’s response.
After a meeting in Karaikal, Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy said his AINRC will contest the 2026 assembly election alongside the BJP, with seat-sharing talks to follow.
Shah claimed the NDA’s five-year tenure in Puducherry ended corruption, restored political stability, and strengthened the Union Territory’s autonomy.
He told party cadres to target a 60% vote share and a sweep of constituencies, projecting gains over the alliance’s 44% vote share in 2021.
Ahead of the polls, a team of deputy election commissioners reviewed preparedness in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and Shah met BJP state office-bearers to plan the campaign.