Almost 80% voter turnout in Kerala, Tamil Nadu

Mangalore Today News Network

CHENNAI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, April 14: Kerala and Tamil Nadu recorded almost 80% polling in the assembly elections held on Wednesday, where for the first time, non-resident Indians too voted. The Union territory of Puducherry saw 85.21% turnout. The polling was peaceful.

With 404 seats, this was a crucial phase for assembly election 2011, the largest electoral exercise since the 2009 LS polls, which has seen polls in Assam and include West Bengal, where the six-phased exercise begins on Monday.

The high turnout in Kerala boosted the morale of LDF as well as the UDF competing in a state that has never returned a government to power. An upbeat Congress unit chief Ramesh Chennithala said the UDF would win 100 of the 140 seats. Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan was equally confident that the LDF would get a renewed mandate.

In the complex political landscape of Tamil politics, both parties claimed they would emerge victorious in the 234-member house. Former chief minister Jayalalithaa predicted a landslide win for her alliance, which includes the Communists, and a near clear majority for her party.

Karunanidhi, seeking election to the assembly for a record 12th time and as chief minister for the sixth time, added equally definitively: "DMK’s chances are as bright as the ’rising sun’ (the party’s election symbol). It will be a DMK-led government. It could be a single party government or a coalition," Karunanidhi said.

The choice in Puducherry was between incumbent Congress CM V Vaithilingam and former Congress chief minister N Rangasamy, who now heads the All India NR Congress. In Puducherry’s Mahe district, 29 NRIs voted.

Chennai/Thiruvananthapuram, Aprl 13: Tamil Nadu recorded about 25 per cent polling and Kerala an impressive 45 per cent till 2 pm in Wednesday’s closely fought Assembly polls which largely remained peaceful.

In Tamil Nadu, polling got off to a brisk start at 8 am reaching the 25 per cent mark by 1 PM as the voters turned out braving the scorching summer heat to exercise their franchise.

Voters came out in large numbers and seen queueing up in both urban and rural areas in Kerala where the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and UDF-headed by Congress are locked in a fierce battle.

In the union territory of Puducherry, about 40 per cent of the voters cast their votes by 1 PM to elect 30 members to the assembly.

Official sources in Thiruvananthapuram said voting was progressing peacefully in all the 140 segments without any untoward incident.

 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi and his arch-rival AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa, whose fortunes are being decided today, crossed swords levelling allegations against each other after casting their votes.

Besides them, Rajnikant and Kamal Hassan were among the celebrities who cast their votes in the morning.

Jayalalithaa alleged the state government had refused to pay the daily allowance of security personnel on election duty and expressed apprehension that DMK men might create violence and cast bogus votes in the event of them going on strike.

Hitting back, Karunanidhi referred to the death of Vikravandi Panchayat Chairman Arjunan in an alleged attack by some unidentified persons and said "one can make out from this who is unleashing violence," hinting at her party’s alleged involvement.

Both Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi exuded confidence that their combine would get the mandate in the 234-member Assembly.

In Kerala, where a total of 971 candidates, including 78 women, are in the fray seeking the mandate of over 2.31 crore voters, politically hyperactive Alappuzha and Kannur districts marked brisk polling of 44 per cent and 40 per cent respectively by mid-day.

Speaking to reporters in Alappuzha, 87-yearold Marxist war horse Achuthanandan said, "We will win majority both in Malampuzha (where he is contesting) and the state".

Besides Achuthanandan, other prominent candidates in the fray are UDF’s chief ministerial front runner Oommen Chandy (Puthupally), KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala (Harippad), IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty (Vengara) and senior BJP leader O Rajagopal (Nemom).

 

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 13: Voting started this morning in all the 140 Assembly segments in Kerala, where the main fight is between the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF.

 

As per the reports from across the state, the voters’ turn-up was brisk. A total of 971 candidates are in the fray -- many of them are independents.

Over 1.25 lakh security personnel have been deployed for peaceful conduct of the voting in 20,578 polling stations. Besides the state police, contingents from other states and central paramilitary forces had been deployed for smooth conduct of the elections.

Around 2.31 crore people, including 8862 NRIs, will exercise their franchise today.

 

The campaigning for the elections had remained by and large peaceful but for sporadic clashes on the concluding day.

High profile contestants in the fray include Chief Minister and CPI-M veteran V S Achuthanandan (Malampuzha), UDF’s chief ministerial contender and Congress leader Oommen Chandy (Puthupally), KPCC chief Ramesh Chennithala (Harippad), state Home Minister and CPI-M Polit Bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan (Thalsssery) and senior BJP leader O Rajagopal (Nemom).

The state recorded 72.38 per cent polling in 2006 Assembly polls.

Polling for the 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu began on a brisk note this morning with about 4.6 crore voters expected to decided the fate of 2,773 candidates.

Political heavyweights whose fortunes will be decided today include Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi, his arch rival and AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa, Karunanidhi’s son and Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin and DMDK actor-founder Vijayakanth.

People came out in good numbers early in the morning and queued up before booths as polling began under the watchful eyes of security personnel who have been deployed in good strength.

In the union territory of Puducherry also, the polling to elect 30 members to the Assembly began with a brisk note and large queues were seen before the booths.