In one of the smoothest and most peaceful polling processes Kerala has ever seen, 70.41 per cent of voters in the Malappuram lok Sabha Constituency on Wednesday exercised their franchise in the by-election necessitated by the death of former Union Minister E Ahamed who had been representing the Constituency. The voter turnout in Malappuram in the 2014 election was 71.21 per cent.
Though people participated in the polling process with enthusiasm, no long queues were seen at any polling station in any of the seven Assembly segments that constituted the Malappuram lok Sabha Constituency.
Blazing sun at the peak of Kerala summer failed to keep the voters away from the booths though voting rate dropped considerably from late morning to early afternoon only to pick up after 3.00 pm.
No untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the constituency. “There were no skirmishes, altercations, arguments or serious complaints anywhere. This was perhaps the most peaceful polling process Kerala has ever seen. Apart from the occasional hiccups developed in the electronic voting machines, there were no big problems,” claimed an election official.
Though the outcome of the by-election, which will be known on April 17, will have no substantial political significance in the State or national level, it is important for all the three sides in terms of how the electorate's mood for the 2019 general election is going to be shaped.