The clock had just struck 7 a.m. The two Paramilitary personnel at the Lower Primary School near Vizhinjam Harbour had just positioned themselves at the gates, when 75-year-old Abdul Samad stepped in, leaning on a walking stick, to cast his vote.
“I had just got out from hospital two days ago. Though am still unwell, I thought I will cast my vote first thing in the morning,” said Samad.
But Samad was an aberration in the coastal wards, located in the Kovalam constituency. Till noon, long queues were not visible in most of the polling stations.
At the St. Chrysostom’s GHS polling station in Nellimoodu in Neyyattinkara constituency, there was an early surge in polling percentage, thanks to a group of nuns who cast their votes just after their morning prayers. Otherwise, most polling booths in the region witnessed dismal polling rates all through the morning.
Tension was visible on the faces of the booth workers of various parties as the polling percentage struggled to reach 20 even close to noon.
At the LMS LP School polling station in Parassala constituency, there was a minor tiff between booth workers of the UDF and the LDF. The UDF workers accused their rivals of trying to influence the voters inside the polling station premises.
Police intervened and ensured that the tiff did not flare up.
The Government High School in Kandala, one of the polling booths in the Kattakkada constituency, witnessed an increase in turnout of voters in the afternoon. Close to evening, booth workers of various parties in Kazhakuttam were seen scrambling back and forth to ensure that all of the voters reach the polling station.
At the polling stations near Kattayikkonam, which had witnessed violent clashes a few months ago, the situation was peaceful. Long queues were not visible through the day though polling picked up pace across all the booths towards the closing hours.
