 India and France, following talks, issued a joint statement on 13 October 1954 announcing a procedure for deciding the status of the French settlements.Five days later, on 18 October 1954 the elected members of the Representative Assembly and the municipal councillors of Pondicherry and Karaikkal took part in a referendum at Kizhur.Of the 178 members voting, an overwhelming majority of 170 members favoured the merger of French Indian territories with the Republic of India.