Kerala: Voting for 3rd phase of local body polls underway; CM Pinarayi Vijayan casts vote

Mangalore Today News Network

Kannur, Dec 14, 2020:    Polling for more than 6,800 wards in over 350 local bodies across four districts of Kerala is underway for the third phase (last phase) of local body polls on Monday. The polling started from 7 am to 6 pm.

 

The polling is underway in 6,867 wards in 354 local bodies across Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod in Kerala. A total of 52,285 officers have been deployed for the election duty.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan also voted at a polling station in Kannur’s Pinarayi around 8:16 am on Monday morning.

There are 89,74,993 voters in the final round, including 42,87,597 men, 46,87,310 women and 86 transgenders, State Election Commission (SEC) V Bhaskaran told ANI. "This includes 71,906 first-time voters and 1,747 NRI voters. As many as 10,842 polling booths have been set up. Webcasting has also been introduced in 1,105 problematic polling booths," said Bhaskaran.

"Those who are coronavirus positive and those in quarantine and in the certified list can vote directly at the polling station by presenting a certificate issued by the Designated Health Officer of the Department of Health during the last hour of polling," the SEC added.

Following the death of the candidates, the polls in Tathur Poyil (11) in Kozhikode Mavoor Grama Panchayat and Thillankeri (7) in Kannur district panchayat has been postponed. Votes will be counted on Wednesday (December 16).

NUMBERS GAME

Kerala recorded 76.38 per cent voter turnout in the second phase of local body elections held in five districts, last week, according to the SEC. Some 36,72,206 men, 38,51,350 women and 15 transgenders exercised their franchise. Kerala recorded 76.38 per cent voter turnout in the second phase of local body elections held in five districts last week.

Under the shadow of the pandemic, Covid-19 positive patients cast their votes in Kochi.

In the first phase of Kerala local body polls held in five districts last week, a 72.67 per cent voter turnout was recorded. In a tri-cornered fight between Left Democratic Front (LDF), United Democratic Front (UDF) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the local body elections are seen as a pointer to the assembly elections scheduled in May.

Courtesy:India Today