French presidential elections 2017: Estimated 4,600 voters in India cast ballot in four-horse race

French nationals in India’s Puducherry and other regions coming under the jurisdiction of their consulate on Sunday vote for the first round of the presidential elections in their country.

The union territory of Puducherry and its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam were former French colonies.

An estimated 4,600 French voters (men and women) exercise their franchise at the poll Sunday simultaneously when France goes to the polls, sources said.

Puducherry would have two booths each in the precincts of the French Consulate and Lycee Francaise (an educational institution managed by French government), while Chennai and Karaikal will have one booth each.

Polling will began at 8 AM and go on till 7 PM Sunday. The sources said physically challenged and aged voters would have special facilities to reach the booths without the need to wait in queues.

Also Read: No real winner in French elections, presidential race ahead

Saturday, Thousands of French expatriates in US also cast their vote with some hoping to stop a global wave of right-wing nationalism from claiming their country.

A voter who came to cast his vote at a polling station at the French embassy said, "In the United States, you can see what happens when people don't vote, or vote badly.”

 "We don't want there to be a Trump in France," he added.

The top five candidates in 2017's French election are François Fillon (Les Republicains), Benoît Hamon (Socialists), Marine Le Pen (Front National) and Emmanuel Macron (Independent) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Unbowed France). 

While there is no clear winner at this stage – political scandals, distrust of polls, the shock Brexit result and Donald Trump's victory mean that sure bets off – there is a frontrunner.