assembly-elections

Updated: May 16, 2016 19:50 IST

Polling ended in Kerala at 6 pm on Monday with 74% voters exercising their franchise to elect 140 legislators. While northern Kannur district topped in voter turnout, Idukki recorded the lowest.

Except stray incidents of bogus voting and impersonation, the election process proceeded peacefully. The poll percentage is likely to go up as many voters joined the queue just before the deadline. At some places like Idukki and Pathanathitta districts rain disrupted polling in early hours but it picked up momentum by evening.

State Governor Justice Sathasivam cast his vote in Thiruvananthpuram. “Being the first citizen of the state I thought I should vote first before asking others to vote,” he said.

The ruling Congress-led UDF is trying hard to buck the trend and rewrite poll history of the state while the Left is in a do-or-die battle to sweep one of its last bastions and for BJP it is an opportunity to prove it is no pushover in the southern state.

“Since there is no wave I feel there will be a continuation of power,” said chief minister Oommen Chandy after casting his vote in Puthupally in Kottayam. He said time was not ripe for lotus to bloom in the state.



“People will boot out the most corrupt government the state has ever seen,” said opposition leader V S Achuthanandan who is seeking re-election from Malampuzha in Palakkad district.

However the BJP expressed hope that it would win a good number of seats. “Opening an account is a thing of the past. Our aim is to pocket maximum seats and become a decisive force,” party state president Kummanam Rajasekharan, who is locked in a fierce three-cornered contest in Vattiurkuv in Thiruvananthapuram, said.