Most polling booths in the district witnessed brisk polling on Monday, amid heavy security arrangements to ensure a free and fair election.
Long queues could be seen at most booths since 7 a.m. According to the official poll percentage update, the district recorded 72.88 per cent polling by 6 p.m.
Officials here say that the poll percentage was expected to go up as polling remained incomplete in some polling booths, with voters standing in queue to exercise their franchise even after 6 p.m. The polling was so brisk in the forenoon that nearly 40 per cent votes were polled by 1 p.m. There was a lull in polling after that, though brisk polling resumed around 3 p.m. The weather was also helpful for the polling.
Though the sky was overcast in the morning, there were no showers.
The polling was largely peaceful, though there were isolated incidents of alleged electoral malpractices.
Personnel of Central forces were deployed in critical booths and live webcasting was set up in 1,054 booths.
As many as 61 booths were identified as critical and 250 as sensitive.
Strict adherence to the Election Commission’s guidelines to ensure free-and-fair election in the district yielded desired results as the polling was not marred by serious incidents. No law-and-order issues were reported from any part of the district.
Intimidation charge
District Congress Committee president K. Surendran said in a statement here that CPI(M) leaders tried to intimidate polling officials in some booths. Attempts were made by CPI(M) workers to do bogus voting, he alleged.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and LDF candidate in the Dharmadam constituency Pinarayi Vijayan cast his vote at R.C. Amala School at his home village Pinarayi. CPI(M) State unit secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan voted at Kodiyeri Junior Basic School.
CPI leader Pannian Ravindran cast his vote at Korjan School at Kakkad here. CPI(M) district secretary P. Jayarajan, who was granted permission to enter the district on Monday for voting, voted at Kongatta LP School at Patyam. Congress leader K. Sudhakaran, who is contesting in the Uduma constituency in Kasaragod district, cast his ballot at Town High School here.
Richard Hay, MP, voted at the Koduvally Vocational Higher Secondary School at Thalassery. District Collector P. Bala Kiran voted at Talap Mixed UP School here.
