Puducherry is a union territory of India, not a separate state, governed directly by the federal authority in New Delhi. Puducherry is among the two union territories (including Delhi) which have the constitutional amendments to have a legislative assembly and a cabinet of ministers headed by a Chief Minister. The Puducherry municipal council looks after the civic administration of the city.

The UT is represented by a Lt. Governor who resides at Raj Nivas, the former palace of the French Governor. The administrator is appointed by the President of India and is responsible for the general administration of the territory. The Central government is more directly involved in the financial well-being of the territory, as against the states where financial administration, given a budgeted central grant is the responsibility to the state governments.

Reflecting its relatively small size and population, Puducherry has only one representative seat in the Lok Sabha- persistently aligned to the Congress Party from the very first Parliament of India. Local Political Partys generally follow alignments with the State Party’s of Tamil Nadu. Most prominent amongst these the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) the DMK (Dravidria Munnettra Kazhagam) and the PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi). The most distinguishing feature of Puthucherry Politics is the absence of Communalism and sectarianism. Pondicherrians are resolutely loyal to their unique Social history and culture above all else.

As one minister of the Puthucherry Government, speaking at the launch of Jean Paul Sartre’s “Les Main Sales” in Tamil, put it: “I’m a Muslim, elected from a constituency in which 90% of the voters are Hindu. Where else in India would that happen?”