Assembly elections in Kerala ended on a peaceful note on Wednesday with more than 70 per cent of the 22 million electorate voting for a new Assembly and both the rival fronts claiming that victory would be theirs.
At 4.50 p.m., just 10 minutes before polling was to end, 73.40 per cent turnout had been recorded, figures from chief electoral office revealed. Kozhikode district recorded the highest percentage with 78.50 per cent voting and Thiruvananthapuram recorded the lowest with 67.30 per cent.
Election officials said polling ended at 5 00 p.m. But those in the queue would be allowed to cast their franchise, probably taking the turnout to 75 per cent and above. In the last general elections in May 2009, the turnout was 73.37 per cent. There were 971 candidates, including 78 women, in the fray.
The enthusiasm of the voters boosted the morale of the two main fronts competing in a state that has never returned a government to power. An upbeat Ramesh Chennithala of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) said they would win 100 of the 140 seats in the Assembly.
The former state Congress chief is contesting from Haripad in Alappuzha district. chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan was equally confident. He told reporters after casting his vote in Alappuzha district that the Left would get a renewed mandate as people would give the Left a second term. Home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said after casting his vote: "Last time we had only two digit figure (98 seats); this time, it will increase to three figures." Among the many thousands who voted was Thiruvallam Bhasi, a journalist from Melbourne registered as an NRI voter.
"The presiding officer in my booth was surprised to see an NRI voter. I voted by showing my passport. He, in fact, asked me if I had come specifically to cast my vote, and I said yes," said Bhasi. A highlight of this election is that 8,862 non-resident Keralites — 8,531 males and 331 women — have been registered to vote.