Kerala assembly elections: At Thekkady booth, polling officials outnumber voters

Idukki: At a polling booth deep inside the forest region of Thekkady, election officials outnumber the voters. The Pachakkanam booth, located within Periyar Tiger Reserve, has just six registered voters this election. Interestingly, eight polling personnel, including two police officers, have been deployed to manage the voting process for these six voters. Moreover, reaching Pachakkanam requires a nearly 30-km journey through dense forest from Kumily, an area frequented by wild animals. The booth falls under the Mullaperiyar ward of Kumily panchayat. The voter list here includes one woman and five men. Deputy collector (election) Sheeba Mathew said that the higher number of officials was assigned considering the security needs of the remote forest area.