Tempers ran excessive at Kattayikonam within the Kazhakootam constituency, as CPM and BJP employees clashed leaving 4 from the saffron celebration injured; three from CPM have been arrested
Kerala witnessed over 73 p.c turnout amid sporadic incidents of violence within the Assembly election for 140 seats held in a extremely polarised setting amidst restrictions as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
Tempers ran excessive at Kattayikonam within the Kazhakootam constituencies as CPM and BJP employees clashed.
Two voters together with a lady standing within the queue in Aranmula in Pathanamthitta and Chavittuavary in Kottayam collapsed and died.
The election started at 7 am and concerned over two lakh polling officers throughout 40,771 polling stations within the state. Tuesday’s polls noticed 957 candidates contesting for 140 seats within the southern state.
Some of the high-profile candidates within the fray are incumbent Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in addition to 11 of his cupboard colleagues.
The end result will probably be declared on 2 May.
Vijayan (Dharmadam), Leader of Opposition within the state Assembly Ramesh Chennithala (Haripad), senior Congress chief Oommen Chandy (Puthupally), BJP state president, Ok Surendran (Konni and Manjeswaram) and E Sreedharan (Palakkad) have been amongst those that voted on Tuesday.
Malayalam celebrity Mammooty, actors Suresh Gopi, Fahad Fasil and Dileep have been among the many early voters.
Keeping the COVID-19
pandemic in thoughts, an extra one hour from 6 pm to 7 pm was put aside for COVID-19 sufferers and people underneath isolation. The state witnessed huge turnout until afternoon however incessant rain in central Kerala lowered the footfall later.
At least 73.58 p.c of the entire 2.74 crore voters exercised their franchise for the state Assembly elections in keeping with a preliminary evaluation when polling drew to an in depth at 7 pm in Kerala on Tuesday, the Election Commission of India mentioned.
The 2016 Assembly elections noticed 77.53 p.c voter turnout, whereas the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 noticed a participation of 77.84 p.c electors.
The ECI mentioned 73.69 p.c of male voters, 73.48 p.c of feminine voters and 37.37 p.c of transgender voters exercised their franchise as per the preliminary evaluation until 6.55 pm.
A polling officer at Thalavady in Kuttanad’s Alappuzha district failed to show up for ballot obligation on Monday night following which one other official needed to be deployed, Election Commission sources mentioned.
Police mentioned that they had obtained a person lacking case and on an investigation, it was discovered that the officer was at his residence itself and had reportedly “overslept”.
The state had witnessed a fierce marketing campaign within the run-up to the polls by the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP-led NDA.
Sabarimala concern re-emerges on day of polling
The Sabarimala ladies’s entry concern, one of many main ballot planks of the Opposition UDF and the NDA towards the ruling LDF throughout the marketing campaign, took centre stage of debate even on Tuesday as main leaders locked horns over the matter.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan mentioned Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity on the Sabarimala, and all different gods are with the LDF authorities which has labored for the welfare of individuals.
Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala in his response mentioned the Left authorities would absolutely face the wrath of Lord Ayyyppa and his devotees on this election.
Lashing out at Vijayan, BJP state president Ok Surendransaid what the chief minister had achieved in Sabarimala three years in the past was the ‘act of demon’ and folks of the state would always remember his “wicked deeds”.
Kerala had witnessed violent protests by right-wing activists after the LDF authorities determined to implement the 2018 Supreme courtroom verdict permitting ladies of all age teams to supply prayers on the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, the place historically ladies within the menstrual age group of 10-50 are barred from providing worship.
The disagreement turned intense because the polling continued with the a number of distinguished leaders on each fronts arising with sharp reactions supporting and opposing the statements of the chief minister.
Sporadic incidents of violence reported
Tempers ran excessive at Kattayikonam within the Kazhakootam constituency, a stronghold of the Marxist celebration in Thiruvananthapuram district, as CPI(M) and BJP employees clashed.
Four BJP employees have been injured and their automotive broken.
Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran, who’s the LDF candidate from the constituency, advised reporters that the intention of the protestors was to disrupt the voting process and alleged that police had acted as “BJP agent”.
Three Marxist employees, together with the minister’s private employees, have been taken into custody.
He mentioned the BJP employees had reached Kattayikonam in two automobiles and allegedly attacked CPM employees together with a ward councillor and that he would file a grievance earlier than the Election Commission and the DGP.
Sobha Surendran, the BJP candidate from the Kazhakootam constituency, had earlier within the day held a sit-in protest in entrance of a polling sales space within the space.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, looking for re-election from Dharmadom in Kannur, expressed confidence that the LDF can be voted again to energy and register a “historic” win.
BJP’s Karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel expressed confidence on Tuesday that the celebration will rating victories in Manjeshwar and Kasaragod Assembly segments. BJP Kerala state president Ok Surendran is the celebration candidate from Manjeshwar.
The BJP will even win eight different seats in different districts together with its sitting seat of Nemom within the Thiruvananthapuram district, he mentioned.
Kateel, who was concerned within the marketing campaign for the polls, additionally claimed the BJP has grown standard amongst ladies and youth in Kerala. “People have lost faith in the CPM-led LDF and the Opposition Congress-led UDF,” he claimed.
He mentioned the believers have turned towards the LDF after its adamant stand towards the age-old customs at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. “The people will also register their protest against the ‘murder politics’ of CPI-M,” he added.
The BJP account in Nemom, the solitary seat received by the saffron celebration within the 2016 polls, will probably be “closed”, he mentioned. Central forces have been deployed in 549 crucial location cubicles and 433 susceptible polling cubicles within the state
Local physique polls in 2020 noticed a voter turnout of 76.2 p.c.
With inputs from PTI
