Stephan Kayyar

Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, May 16: In all the five assembly constituencies in the district where poll is being held today, brisk polling was witnessed since early morning. Long lines of enthusiastic voters were seen in almost all the polling booths. In the first three hours, 18 percent of the electorate had cast their votes.

9.9 lac voters who are exercising their franchise through 799 polling booths spread over the five constituencies will be deciding the fate of candidates who mainly form a triangular contest between United Democratic Front, Left Democratic Front and National Democratic Alliance.

Candidates, K Surendran, N A Nellikunni, P B Abdul Razack, E Chandrashekharan and others polled their votes early in the morning. While Nellikunnu voted at the Nellikunnu school booth, Manjeshwar UDF candidate, P B Abdul Razack, came to the booth at Chengala and cast his vote. BJP candidate from Uduma, K Sriant voted at Kotikulam, and BJP candidate from the local constituency, Kuntaru Raveesh Tantry, exercised their voting rights at AUP school polling booth, Kuntar, in the morning.

K Sudhakaran of the Congress from Uduma constituency cast his vote at Kannur in the morning. Kanhangad LDF candidate, E Chandrashekharan, caste his vote at UP School Koliyadka, while LDF candidate from Uduma, K Kunhiraman, came to vote at Kootakani GUP school polling booth. MP, P Karunakaran, voted at Balakrishna Memorial school, Nileshwar, LDF candidate from Trikkaripura, M Rajagopal, exercised his franchise at Kayyor government school.

Although the district is enveloped in cloudy climate, with drizzle at some places, since morning, there was no dearth in the enthusiasm of the people to exercise their voting right. In many places electricity has been playing hide and seek, causing insufficient lighting at some polling booths.

The polling, which began at 7 am in 140 assembly constituencies will go on till 6 pm. 2.61 crore voters as against 2.32 crore in 2011, are eligible this time to cast their votes and decide the future of 1,203 candidates, 109 among whom are women. There are 46 candidates in the district, eight in Manjeshwar, seven in the local constituency, ten in Uduma, 12 in Kanhangad, and nine in Trikkaripura. In all these constituencies, triangular contest exists. This time the election has kicked up fresh bout of interest as NDA has been putting up a brave effort for the first time against traditional rivals, LDF and UDF. The state had been a turf for battle between LDF and UDF since the last 60 years.

In the state, a total of 1,233 polling booths have been grouped as sensitive. Webcasting has been arranged in 3,142 polling booths. In all the booths, in addition to state police, central forces have been deployed. All out efforts are being made to stop fake voting.