A drop by 3.42 per cent was recorded in voter turnout in the polling held on Monday for the Kerala Assembly election in comparison with the figures of the polling for the 2011 Assembly election.
As per the preliminary calculations, the voter turnout in this election, one of the most peaceful held so far in the State, was 71.70 per cent while that in the 2011 polls was 75.12 percent.
Political parties and poll-watchers said attributed the drop in turnout to heavy rains in many parts of the State, especially on Monday morning. However, sources in the Election Commission indicated that the figure could go up further after the final calculations. Counting of votes will be held on Thursday.
long queues were seen at several polling booths at the time of closure at 6.00 PM. Those who were in the queues at 6.00 PM were allowed to cast their votes. No incident of serious violence was reported from anywhere in the State, though some incidents of alleged bogus voting and skirmishes among activists of political parties took place.
Ten of the total 14 districts in the State saw voter turnout of over 70 per cent with Kannur (78.49 per cent) and Pathanamthitta (61.95per cent) recording the highest and lowest polling rates respectively. The turnout in the lok Sabha polls of 2014 was 74.04 per cent while the highest turnout recorded in the State was 80.54 per cent in the 1987 Assembly election.
Polling in the State had started at a low pace at 7.00 AM Monday especially in villages and high range areas. The response was very low in the morning due to heavy rains in central Kerala and several booths in Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts but the pace picked up late in the afternoon after the showers stopped.
Polling picked up pace across the State after the first two hours and by 11.00 AM and brisk polling was reported except from Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram districts in those hours. Rains had slowed down polling also in several booths in Palakkad district which had witnessed the harshest summer in the State this year.
Polling was held under tight security arrangements for which over 50,000 police personnel including those from 120 companies of Central forces had been deployed. Apart from this, the Election Commission had taken stringent measures to avoid illegal practices and to ensure smooth conduct of the process.
While the Congress-led ruling UDF and CPI(M)-headed Opposition lDF aired confidence of winning the election, the BJP-led NDA, determined this time to become a decisive force in the State’s legislative process, said this election would prove to be a turning point in Kerala’s political history.
CPI(M) leaders said that the reasonably high voter turnout seen in the northern and southern districts justified their claim that the left would win the election while the Congress also made similar claims. According to the BJP, the rush of voters seen in its strongholds would prove its expectations right.
Reasonably heavy voter turnout was seen in constituencies where tough triangular contests were taking place due to the strong presence of the NDA. This was witnessed in Kasaragod, Palakkad, Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram districts. Tough triangular fight had taken place in at least four seats in Thiruvananthapuram.
Minor incidents of skirmishes were reported from Alappuzha, Malappuram, Idukki, Kasaragod and Kozhikode districts. Attempts for bogus voting were reported from some booths in Kannur district. There was a complaint about an attempt to attack Congress candidate AP Abdullakutty in Thalassery, Kannur.