Drop in voter turnout fails to dampen spirits of rival fronts in Chalakudy constituency
The Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency recorded a slight fall in voter turnout when compared to the 2019 elections as polling gures stood at 68.1% at 8 p.m.
The 2019 general elections saw 73.59% of voters in the constituency exercising their democratic rights. The inclement weather might have played spoilsport forcing a section of voters to stay indoors. However, ignoring the scorching heat, a majority of voters arrived at polling booths and waited patiently for hours to cast votes. First-time voters, mostly accompanied by their parents, enthusiastically participated in the democratic process from the early hours of the day.
A large number of voters chose to go to polling stations in the morning hours to avoid being out in the sun during the noon hours when temperature peaked. This resulted in the formation of long serpentine queues outside most polling booths during the rst few hours of the day. The election turned out to be a peaceful aair in the constituency with no major untoward incidents being reported. Male voters enthusiastically participated in polling as 69.99% of voters exercised franchise. Around 65 of women and 26.66% of transgenders voted on the day.
The Paravur Assembly segment recorded the highest voter turnout among the seven constituencies in the Ernakulam Parliament constituency as 72.09% of voters reached the booths on Friday. Vypeen, the coastal constituency, came second (70.86%) followed by Kalamassery (70.27%). Ernakulam recorded the lowest as only 62.22% of voters came out to vote. In Kochi, 65.87% of voters exercised franchise. The polling gures may change when the nal list is drawn up, as indicated by the district authorities.
The drop in voter turnout compared to the 2019 general elections has not dampened the spirits of the key fronts in the Chalakudy constituency as they exuded condence of making it big on the counting day.
Chalakudy registered a polling percentage of 71.68, according to gures provided by the State Election Commission as of 9 p.m. on Friday. In 2019, the central Kerala constituency had recorded a total voter turnout of 80.4%. The United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) compared the fall in the polling percentage this time to the overall drop in the total turnout in the State.
Among the Assembly constituencies, the poll percentage this time was:
Kaipamangalam (72.63), Chalakudy (69.03), Kodungallur (70.9), Perumbavoor (73.13), Angamaly (68.32), Aluva (70.45), and Kunnathunad (78.11), as per the data available at 9 p.m. The total polling percentage in 2019 Assembly-wise was: Kaipamangalam (80.21), Chalakudy (77.7), Kodungalloor
(78.78); Perumbavoor (81.71), Angamaly (79.93), Aluva (80.44), and Kunnathunad (84.40).
Though the campaign managers remained cautious by not oering tall claims, they sounded condent about their internal calculations. Roji M. John, Congress MLA representing the Angamaly Assembly constituency, stated that the UDF camp remained hopeful that its candidate Benny Behanan would retain the seat.
“The excitement was visible across the booths right from the start of the polling. We are positive about the outcome,” he said. On the drop in voter turnout, he said they were yet to see the nal voting percentage declared by the Election Commission.
C.B. Devadarshan, member of the Ernakulam district secretariat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], said the candidature of C. Raveendranath was widely accepted. “A positive trend in favour of the Left was visible from the start of the campaign,” he said. However, he pointed out that it was too early to provide a clear picture as the overall report was yet to come.
K.A. Unnikrishnan, candidate of the National Democratic Alliance, said there was a trend in favour of the alliance State-wide. “It will be re¦ected in Chalakudy too,” he said. The rival fronts played down the impressive turnout in Kunnathunad Assembly constituency in which Twenty20 has a signicant presence while saying that it would not impact their prospects.
The UDF had won Chalakudy, Angamaly, Aluva, and Perumbavoor constituencies in the Assembly election held in 2021 while the LDF romped home in Kaipamangalam, Kodungalloor, and Kunnathunad. In the Lok Sabha election held in 2019, Mr. Behanan had defeated the late actorturned-politician Innocent by a huge margin of 1.3 lakh votes.