Puducherry, Apr 18 (IANS): Polling picked up after a slow start in the lone Puducherry Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday, but continued to be brisk in the Union territory's Thattanchavady Assembly seat.
According to the Election Commission (EC), 22.69 per cent voting was recorded in Puducherry and 26.29 per cent for the Thattanchavady Assembly by-election from 7 a.m. till 12 noon.
In the Lok Sabha constituency, the fate of 18 candidates will be decided by 9.73 lakh voters. The main fight is between Congress candidate V. Vaithilingam and All India N.R. Congress candidate Narayanasamy Kesavan.
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam has fielded M.A.S. Subramanian.
There are eight candidates in the fray for the Assembly seat, but the main fight is between All India N.R. Congress candidate P. Nedounzejiane and DMK's K. Venkatesan.