Polling for first phase ends on a peaceful note

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 22 (UNI) Polling for the first phase of Assembly elections in Kerala, covering 59 constituencies in six districts, ended on a peaceful note at 1700 hrs today.

Starting on a dull note in the initial hours, voting gained momentum in most places by noon. Long queues were seen in some polling stations in the rural areas from the morning itself, while polling progressed on a slow pace in the cities.

Election Commission sources said no untoward incident was reported from any part of the districts.

A total of 409 candidates were in the fray in Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Alappuzha, Idukki and Kottayam districts.

The EC said about 51 per cent of votes were polled till 1500 hrs.

Thiruruvanathapuram district recorded 44.5 per cent polling, Kollam 51.34 per cent, Idukki 49.09 per cent, Pathanamthitta 52.67 per cent, Allappuzha 52.56 per cent and Kottayam 53.50 per cent, they added.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, his Cabinet colleagues K M Mani, K R Gouri, Babu Divakaran, C F Thomas, K C Venugopal, Adoor Prakash, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, N Sakthan and Deputy Speaker N Sundaran Nadar were the prominent United Democratic Front leaders, who exercised their franchise. Pradesh Congress President Ramesh Chennithala, Congress Working Committee member A K Antony, were the others, who cast their votes.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) polit bureau member V S Achutanandan, Central Committee Member M A Baby, State Secretariat Member T M Thomas Issac, Students Federation of India(SFI) State President Sindhu Joy and Former Assembly Speaker M Vijayakumar, were the prominent Left Demoncratic Front(LDF) candidates, who cast their votes.

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