Peaceful, brisk polling continues in Kannur

Amidst unprecedented police arrangements with the Central police force actively involved in security measures to ensure peaceful, free and fair election in the Kannur Assembly constituency here on Saturday, heavy polling is in progress in almost all polling stations.

According to unofficial estimate, nearly 50 per cent of voters cast their votes by 2 p.m. The polling percentage in the Kannur constituency is expected to be higher than the 74.29 per cent polling here in the 2006 Assembly election.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel deployed in the constituency by the Election Commission in addition to the State police posted for the election law enforcement in and outside booths were actively engaged in the security arrangements at the polling stations and remained extremely vigilant against any outbreak of troubles inside the booths.

In almost all the booths, the voters were allowed inside the compound by the CISF personnel after examining the electoral photo identity card (EPIC) or other identity cards allowed by the EC. There were also checkings by the police personnel and officials to ensure that only genuine voters entered the booths.

The brisk polling that started in the very first hour of polling continued. By 12-30 p.m., an estimated 43 per cent of 1,33,000-odd electors in the constituency cast their votes.

Some of the newly-enrolled voters, who were identified as absentee/shifted in an official verification under the direction of the EC following complaints of the United Democratic Front (UDF) that large number of voters from neighbouring constituencies had been 'transferred' to the Kannur constituency by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to capture the constituency, were allowed to cast their votes after taking their biometric fingerprints.

Meanwhile, UDF candidate A.P. Abdullakutty, expressing satisfaction over the incident-free polling in the constituency, alleged that large number of CPI(M) workers from other parts who got enrolled in the

electoral roll cast their votes.