Thiruvananthapuram: Nearly 13 million people had voted by Monday afternoon in Kerala to pick a new assembly, with both the Congress and the Left insisting they were on the road to victory.
Long queues formed outside polling centres across the state right from 7 a.m. despite rains, with officials saying that 43.88 percent of the 26 million voters had exercised their franchise by 1 p.m. The balloting, to elect 140 legislators, will end at 6 p.m. As brisk voting continued, both Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and CPI-M veteran V.S. Achuthanandan asserted that their coalitions were set to win the electoral battle.
Chandy said after casting his vote that he was confident the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) would retain its majority in the assembly. “We are certain the people will give us one more chance,” Chandy told the media at his hometown Puthupally near Kottayam.
Added Congress leader and former chief minister A.K. Antony: “For the first time in the state a ruling party is going to retain power. While the Left will remain in the opposition, the BJP won’t win any seat.”
The main opponent to the UDF is the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist.
Marxist leader Achuthanandan, contesting from Malampuzha in Palakkad district, met voters one last time before returning to Alappuzha to cast his vote. “There is a slight rain and this is a good omen,” he said. “There is a huge wave in our favour. We are heading for a landslide victory… People are going to show the exit door to Chandy.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hoping to enter the Kerala assembly for the first time. State BJP president Kummanem Rajasekheran, contesting in Vatiyoorkavu in the state capital, said things were looking very bright for the BJP. “There is a strong opposition to both the Left and the Congress. That’s why we are hugely confident this time,” he said.
Kannur, considered a Marxist bastion, recorded 47.61 per cent turnout followed by Kottayam (45.59). Thiruvananthapuram’s polling percentage was put at 36.14.
Kerala has 2,60,19,284 voters. A total of 1,203 contestants, including 109 women, are in the fray.
In Tamil Nadu, nearly 15 million people voted on Monday in the first four hours of polling to pick a new Tamil Nadu assembly, officials said.
The Election Commission said some 25.2 per cent of the 58 million voters had exercised their franchise between 7 and 11 a.m.
Leaders of all major political parties were among the early voters.
Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and AIADMK general secretary, however, did not make the usual claims about the electoral outcome. “In two days time, the people’s verdict will be known,” she said after voting here.
DMK chief and former chief minister M. Karunanidhi, his son and party treasurer M.K. Stalin and state BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan voted in Chennai. Congress leader P. Chidambaram voted in Sivaganga district. Speaking to reporters, Karunanidhi said the DMK-Congress combine was poised to win and form the next government.
Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and some places in southern districts saw rains, which in turn slowed down the voting.
In Chennai, voting was progressing briskly, officials said. Actors Kamal Hassan, Rajinikanth, Ajith, Sundar. C and Kushboo voted in the city.
Polling in 232 of the 234 assembly constituencies began at 7.00 a.m. and will end at 6.00 p.m. Polling has been cancelled in two constituencies: Thanjavur and Aravakurichi. In the 232 constituencies, 3,728 candidates are in the fray.
The ruling AIADMK is aligned with some smaller parties. The DMK has aligned with the Congress, two Muslim parties and some smaller outfits. The third front, led by the DMDK, comprises the CPI-M, CPI, VCK, TMC and MDMK. The PMK is contesting alone while the BJP has aligned with a few smaller parties.
