Heavily overcast skies threatened to play spoilsport right from the time polling started at 7 a.m. in Kerala but except for Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Idukki districts, the rains held off and polling remained brisk for the better part of the morning.
In many districts, voters turned out in large numbers at polling booths in the morning, anticipating strong summer rains later in the day.
In Kochi, heavy rains affected polling till 8.30 am but picked up after the rains eased off. The rains that had been lashing Idukki since Sunday night deterred voters from venturing out early in the day, especially in tribal areas and remote settlements.
However, the overcast skies provided respite from the blazing summer heat in Kannur, Kasargode, Kozhikode and Palakkad districts, encouraging voters to come out in large numbers. Long queues were seen at polling booths in the four districts throughout the morning.
