First Phase of Kerala Civic Polls Begins: 16% Turnout in 2 Hours

Image used for representation.

(Photo: IANS)

The first phase of the three-tier local body polls in five districts of Kerala began on Tuesday, 8 December, at 7 am. Over 16 percent polling was recorded in the initial two hours amid fears in many quarters about the impact of COVID-19 on voting percentage.

A total of 24,583 candidates are in the fray, trying their electoral luck in 6,910 wards of 395 local bodies in the districts — Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki.

The other districts will have elections in two phases on 10 and 14 December respectively.

Union Minister V Muraleedharan and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor were among prominent political leaders who voted in the local body elections in Thiruvananthapuram.

Voters Follow COVID Protocols

Across the five districts, 11,225 polling stations have been set up for the electorate that includes 41,58,341 men, 46,68,209 women and 70 transgenders. The election process will be manned by 56,122 officials.

Voters followed all COVID-19 protocols, including maintaining physical distancing and wearing masks and sanitised their hands as they enter and exit the booths.

There is also an arrangement to have COVID-19 patients cast their vote after 6 pm when voting ends for the rest of the voters, The News Minute reported.

According to the official update, 7.53 percent polling was recorded in the five districts at 8.45 am.

Thiruvananthapuram registered 6.97 percent polling, while Kollam registered 7.67 percent, Pathanamthitta 8.13 percent, Alappuzha 7.90 percent and Idukki 7.2 percent by the time, reported PTI.

The principal contestants include candidates from three major political fronts - LDF led by CPI-M, Congress-led UDF, and BJP-led NDA. Ministers Kadakampally Surendran and A C Moideen on Tuesday expressed confidence about the LDF victory.

”The recent controversies will not make any impact on the winning prospects of the ruling front.”

PTI quoted CPI leader A C Moideen as saying

The LDF had won 60 percent of the seats across Kerala in 2015, followed by Congress, while the BJP won only 1,200 seats out of 21,000 at various three-tier local bodies.

The second phase of the polls in Ernakulam, Kottayam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad will be held on 10 December and the third phase in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod on 14 December.

Votes will be counted on 16 December.

(With inputs from PTI, IANS and TNM)