District Collector P.I. Sheikh Pareed, who is also District Election Officer, asked Varappuzha police to arrest one Booth Level Officer (BLO) for dereliction of duty. Haridas of Department of Fisheries, was to issue the voter’s slips signed by tahsildar at St. Philomina’s Higher Secondary School, Koonamavu (booth number 124).
He reportedly arrived at the booth by 6 a.m., but was missing by 7 a.m. He did not distribute the slips and went missing without handing over the slip to tahsildar. Voters could, however, cast their votes using the identity cards.
No untoward incident has been reported from the district till 12.30 p.m., said Mr. Pareed, with Kunnathunadu leading in polling percentage among all the 14 Assembly constituencies. Kunnathunadu constituency topped in polling percentage across the State with 40.4 at 11 a.m.
The coastal belt also witnessed a heavy polling in the forenoon. On an average, there was a polling percentage of over 30 in Vypeen constituency, with St. Peter’s LPS, Malippuram topping with 36 percentage.
Pace of polling fell in Muvattupuzha as it moved to the lowest in polling percentage at 11 a.m. with a figure of 29 per cent, with Kochi at 29.1. The latter had the least polling percentage during initial rounds.
At 11 a.m., Perumbavoor had polled 35.4 percentage, Angamali 37, Aluva 33.4, Kalamassery 32.8, Paravur 36.2, Vypeen 36.8, Tripunithura 35.5, Ernakulam 30, Thrikkakara 33.1, Piravom 34.5, and Kothamangalam 30.9.
