The district recorded more than 72 per cent polling when voting ended for the civic polls by 5 p.m. on Monday. The final results for the four municipalities are—Kottayam: 76 per cent; Changanassery: 75.01; Vaikom: 77.71; and Pala, 74.27 per cent.
The district had recorded 64.34 per cent polling during the 2005 local body elections. On a day blessed by the weather gods, the polling began on a brisk note with the first one hour recording more than 15 per cent polling. Voting percentage was relatively higher in the municipal areas where the electronic voting machines (EVM) were used. As per the official records, the polling in the first two hours was 26 per cent in municipal areas and 22 per cent in grama panchayats. During the early hours while polling was heavy in the Left-leaning Vaikom and parts of Kottayam Assembly segment along with the Christian heartland of Pala and Puthuppally, it remained dull in the plantation areas like Kanjirappally and parts of Meenachil taluk.
The district recorded 68.70 per cent polling till 4 p.m. with the four municipalities recording a record 72 per cent votes. The 73 grama panchayts had an average poll percentage of 66.9 during the period.
Barring a few incidents, polling was relatively peaceful in the district. Earlier in the day, tension prevailed in one of the polling stations in Kadanad, where nearly 40 inmates of a senior citizen's home arrived without proper identification documents. Polling in Kottapadom booth in Vaikom taluk was disrupted for some time when one of the poling officers collapsed in the station. Violence erupted at Kurichy where alleged activists of the CPI(M) and BSP engaged in a fisticuff.
The polling process at Thuruthy, near Changanassery, was disrupted after nearly 10 voters cast their votes as the polling agents challenged the process on technical issues. They pointed out that the ballot paper had seals printed in red ink. Polling resumed after the issue was settled at the intervention of the district electoral officer.
Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy speaking to reporters after casting his vote at the Angadi MD LP School, Puthuppally criticised Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who, according to him, could not even ensure peace in the seven booths where re-polling was ordered. The Home Minister had no right to continue in his office, Mr. Chandy said.
Prominent personalities who cast their votes in the district include NSS general secretary P.K. Narayana Panicker; Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani; and Jose K. Mani and Anto Antony, MPs. LDF convener Vaikom Viswan cast his vote at the Government High School, Kudayampadi.
