Under 40 p c polling till noon in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 22 (UNI) Less than 40 per cent of the 83.89 lakh electorate exercised their franchise till noon for the first phase of Assembly elections in Kerala, covering 59 constituencies spread over six southern districts.

Voting, which started on a dull pace gained momentum and moderate to brisk polling was reported from many polling stations.

Long queues were seen in some polling stations in rural areas from the morning, while polling was at a slow pace in cities. In coastal areas, where brisk polling is usually seen, it began sluggishly and is yet to pick up.

Election Commission sources said no untoward incident was reported from any districts where polling was progressing.

Thiruruvanathapuram district recorded 30 per cent polling, Kollam 27 per cent, Idukki 28 per cent, Pathanamthitta 38 per cent, Alappuzha 35 per cent and Kottayam 40 per cent, they said.

In some polling stations, voting was disrupted for sometime as the electronic voting machines did not work. Polling restarted after necessary arrangements were made.

State Chief Minister Oommen Chandy accompanied by his wife and two children cast his vote at MP Lower Primary School at Puthuppally in Kottayam district. After that Mr Chandy accused the LDF of stalling development work. The CPI(M)'s attitude to 'Smart City' project showed their 'anti-development stand,' he said.

Labour Minister Babu Divakaran, contesting from Kollam, and Revenue Minister K M Mani, from Pala, cast their votes at the Kollam S N College and St Thomas High School, Pala respectively.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala, who cast his ballot at Chennithala in Mavelikkara, expressed confidence the UDF would win the poll. Congress Working Committee member and former Chief Minister A K Antony exercised his franchise at Jagathy school here.

He was confident that the UDF would win the elections.

Former Minister and Kerala Congress (B) leader R Balakrishana Pillai cast his ballot at the DIET High School in Kottarakkara.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) Central Committee member M A Baby, who is contesting from Kundara in Kollam district, exercised his franchise at the St Joseph's Higher secondary school here.

Revolutionary Socialist Party state secretary T J Chandrachoodan, who is contesting from Aryanad in Thiruvananthapuram district, cast his vote at the Pettah Boys high school in the city.

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

The UDF won 45 of the 59 seats in the 2001 Assembly elections.

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