Kerala assembly elections 2021: State sees brisk polling

KOCHI

: Brisk polling was witnessed from across Kerala for the 140 assembly seats since the polling began on Tuesday.


The polling percentage touched about 17.4 percent after the first two hours with some districts recording close to 16 percent within the first two hours. The poll percentage was slow in the first hour at around 8am but picked up in the next one and half hours.

Among the early voters were Metroman E Sreedharan, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, fisheries minister Mercykutty Amma, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, NSS president Sukumaran Nair, BJP state president K Surendran.

Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram witnessed more than 9.1 percent after the first hour.

Fisheries minister J Mercykutty Amma who is contesting from Kundara alleged that the EMCC director Shiju Varghese and independent opponents tried to sabotage elections. "Shiju tried to fake that he was attacked in the morning, but police foiled his attempt. She alleged that he pour petrol and tried to immolate himself. He is in police custody. However, police refuted the minister's claim and said Shiju was not taken into custody. Later Shiju said that he had come to police to register a case that there was an attack on his vehicle.

The contract signed with EMCC over the building of over 400 fishing trawlers had triggered a huge controversy leading to the government cancelling the contract.

There were no initial reports of bogus or duplicate voters as the election commission has put a strict monitoring of identity cards and the lists provided by the election commission and political parties are being used to cross-check the voters.

In the first two hours, technical glitches plagued poll in many places and people had to return home from the booths in Kazhakootam and Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram, Dharmadam in Kannur, Kanhangad in Kasaragod and Cheruvally in Kottayam.


A scuffle was reported in Trikaripur in Kannur during mock polling.

Covid protocols were in place with temperature monitoring and spacing of electors in most booths.

A total of 2,02, 402 police personnel have been deployed for smooth conduct of polls. There are 40,771 polling stations and 1,12,324 polling booths in Kerala. The polling will conclude at 7pm on Tuesday except in nine constituencies under the Maoist threat where it will conclude at 6pm. Covid patients will come in the last hour.

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