According to the final tally, the Congress won 10 seats, its allies, the DMK - 7, PMK - 2 and CPI - 1.

The AIADMK-led front managed only seven seats with AIADMK 3, MDMK 1 and PMC 3.

The remaining three seats were won by independents.

Though Pondicherry has traditionally been a Congress stronghold, the party has seen some erosion in its strength in the recent polls.

This former French colony had assembly polls in two phases on May 3 and May 8 where 6.5 million voters exercised their franchise. Two seats are in Kerala and a third seat Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, who registered a comfortable win in the Thattanchavady constituency, is slated to become chief minister a second time.

In the outgoing assembly, the Congress had 13 seats and its ally, the DMK 12, giving the coalition 25 seats.

The Puduchery Munnetra Congress (PMC), which was formed by P. Kannan, a rebel Congress leader, had aligned with the AIADMK. Kannan himself lost the prestigious Mudeliarpet to DMK's M.A.S. Subramanian.

Congress leader M.O.H.F. Shahjahan has retained Lawspet seat, a seat held for long by Congress leader M.O.H. Farooq.

Health Minister in the outgoing cabinet E. Valsaraj (Congress) retained his Mahe seat in Kerala for a fifth time.

A.V. Sreedharan, Congress, retains Paloor - the second seat in Kerala.

Malladi Krishna Rao (Congress) retained his Yanam seat on the Andhra coast.

Prominent Congress winners include former chief minister V. Vaithilingam, who romped home from Nettapakkam for the sixth consecutive time.

The Communist Party of India's national council member R. Viswanathan won the Reddiarpalayam seat.

AIADMK state unit secretary A. Anbalagan won from Ouppalam.

Former chief minister R.V. Janakiraman of the DMK lost the Nellithope seat to AIADMK's Om Sakthi Sekar. Janakiraman had won the seat five times since 1985.

DMK's A.M.H. Nazeem retained Karaikal and AIADMK's V. Omalingam wrested Cotcherry seat from the Congress.