Chennai, Apr 7 (IANS): Senior Congress leader and former Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Wednesday expressed confidence that the high voter turnout in the Tuesday's Assembly election is a positive factor for his party.

In Puducherry, the voter turnout was 81.64 per cent. Yanam recorded the highest percentage, at 91.27 while Rajbhavan was at the lowest, at 73.24.

Talking to IANS, Narayanasamy said: "The higher voter turnout in Puducherry is a clear indication that people are with the Congress and our promises of loan rebate and government jobs have received a great response for the party in the state."

In Puducherry, the Congress had suffered a severe jolt after several senior leaders including Minister Namasivayam quit the party and joined the BJP, leading to the fall of the Narayanasamy government.

The Congress-DMK combine were campaigning extensively against the "communal overtures" of the BJP-led front and the Congress was expecting that grass root issues between cadres of the All India NR Congress and those of the BJP-AIADMK may work in their favour.

While Union Home Minister Amit Shah had openly endorsed a BJP Chief Minister for Puducherry after elections, the party had to finally settle on AINRC leader and former Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy as the CM candidate if the NDA wrests power as AINRC was in a revolt mode against the BJP leadership. The Congress expects that this would work in its favour.

Narayanasamy said: "We had fought the election against religious and communal elements and even several parties which are with the BJP in the NDA are not happy with theit policies and programmes."

The BJP leadership, however, dismissed the claims of the Congress.

"The BJP and other parties of the NDA will do extremely well in the elections and there is no problem between BJP and other coalition partners. We are heading for a resounding victory," party state President Swaminathan told IANS.