1st phase of Kerala local body elections: Polling begins in five districts
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Barring a number of technical glitches in districts like Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram, the polling is progressing easily
Long queues have been noticed in polling cubicles in the five southern districts the place polling started at 7 a.m. on Tuesday in the primary phase of the local body elections in Kerala.
The polling share crossed eight per cent in all five districts —Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki — by 8.30 a.m. indicating the comparatively highvoter turnout in the preliminary hours of polling.
This has, nonetheless, additionally sparked considerations, given the COVID-19 state of affairs in Kerala. The State Election Commission had made elaborate preparations for conducting the elections below COVID-19 protocol following stories that instances are more likely to witness a spike after the elections.
Electors who examined constructive for COVID-19 sufferers or quarantined after 3 p.m. on Monday can be permitted to go to polling cubicles to vote in spite of everything different voters have solid their votes by 6 p.m.
Barring a number of technical glitches in districts like Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram, the polling is progressing easily. A mock ballot was held on the polling stations at 6 a.m. earlier than the precise train started at 7 a.m.
In the primary phase, elections are being held to 6910 wards of 395 local our bodies in the five districts. The five districts have, in all, 88,26,873 electors together with 46,68,267 girls, 41,58,395 males and 61 transgender voters. The electoral rolls for the five districts additionally embrace 42,530 new voters and 150 NRI voters. In all, 24,583 candidates are in the fray. The polling stations quantity 11,225 with 1697 in city areas and 9528 in rural areas.
Talking to reporters after casting his vote in Thiruvananthapuram, Minister for Cooperation Kadakampally Surendran stated that the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) would rating a serious victory in the State and particularly in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) claims in this regard are baseless, he stated, including that the BJP is not going to win even half the seats it did in 2015 in the company.
The Leader of Opposition, Ramesh Chennithala stated the individuals of Kerala will vote in opposition to the LDF and the BJP. The local body elections will sign the start of a change of guard in the State, he stated.
Senior BJP chief Kummanam Rajasekharan stated the BJP-led NDA would elbow out each the LDF and UDF in Kerala. The BJP would seize the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation this time, he stated.
State Election Commissioner V. Bhaskaran appealed to voters to observe the COVID-19 protocols on the polling cubicles.
Ernakulam, Kottayam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad districts will go to polls in the second phase on Thursday. The elections can be held in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod on December 14. The votes can be counted on December 16.
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