<span style="color: #222222;">The process of filing of nominations has begun today with the issuance of notification for the single-phase elections in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Puducherry.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">The single-phase polling in Kerala, Tamil Nadu along with the Union Territory of Puducherry will also be held on the 6th of April. All the 234 Assembly Constituencies in Tamil Nadu, 140 Assembly Constituencies of Kerala and along with 30 Assembly Constituencies in Puducherry will go to polls together.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">In the Union Territory of Puducherry filing of nomination papers began today for the single-phase assembly elections which will be held on April 6th. The results will be declared on May 2nd.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">   </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">The Chief Secretary Ashwini Kumar issued the notification in the state gazette. The Last date of nomination is March 19 . The Scrutiny of nomination will take place on March 20. Last date for withdrawal of candidature is 22 nd March. polling will be on April 6 and the results will be declared on 2nd May.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">The entire process will have to be completed by 4th May.Puducherry is a Union Territory (UT), which has a 33 seats legislative assembly. Out of these 33 seats, three are nominated seats. The 16 members majority required to form the government.Congress, is fighting the election in alliance with DMK and also has some other parties.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">The Congress will contest in 15 seats from the total 30 seats in the Puducherry legislative Assembly. DMK will contest in 13 seats and alliance partners CPI and Vidutalai siruthaigal Katchi shared each one.Meanwhile, the BJP is in alliance with All India NR Congress, AIADMK. The NR Congress will contest 16 seats, while the BJP and AIADMK will contest the remaining 14 seats.  Actor turned politician Kamal Hassan s Makkal Needhi Maiam, the Tamil Nationalist Party, Naam Tamilar Katchi, Actor Vijayaganth' s DMDK are also in the fray.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">Puducherry was under French regime till 1954. So the French influence is still intact. The UT shares the boundaries of Andhra in YANAM region, Kerala in MAHE and Tamil Nadu in KARAIKAL region. </span><br />''<br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In Kerala, Seat sharing discussions for the upcoming assembly polls have entered the final phase, as the nomination filing process began today.  With CPIM led LDF already fielding their candidates in most of the 140 constituencies, Congress led UDF and BJP led NDA is busy with the last round of talks regarding their candidate list. It's expected that the High Command of Congress will release their candidate's list by this evening. RSP, an ally of UDF, have already declared their candidates. NDA may declare their candidates by tomorrow. LDF have started their election conventions in constituencies where candidates are declared.</span>