D-Day for Kerala politics: Polling to begin at 7 am

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The people of Kerala will decide today who they want to govern the state for the next five years. Assam and Pondicherry will also go to the polling booth today.

The LDF is confident of a return to governance with the hope that people will give their full approval to the ten years of development and welfare works. The UDF is determined that the tireless efforts to spread anti-government sentiment among the people will return them to power. The NDA's goal this time is not just opening an account, but to convince the populace of their growth in recent years. After the final stages of the publicity campaign, all three fronts are exuding massive confidence.

If the Left Front wins a hat-trick, the Pinarayi government will get into the history books of Kerala politics. If they lose, the accusation of anti-incumbency sentiment will be deemed real. A win after a decade would be a welcome acknowledgement, while a loss would await a serious internal 'blast' within UDF.

For BJP, anything more than one seat will be an acknowledgement of the reforms carried out by the BJP and an indicator of the party’s rapid growth in the state.

Accusations and counter-accusations were thrown from all sides during this election season. Just a day before the elections, Congress released a video alleging BJP supporters were distributing money to people in Palakkad in exchange for votes. Similar allegations were made against BJP in Varkala as well. Another controversy was the distribution of pamphlets against the UDF candidate in Adoor.

Enter the 10-digit EPIC number of the ID card on the Election Commission's website https://electoralsearch.eci.gov.in/. If you search by selecting Kerala instead of the state and entering the captcha, you will know the booth. If you do not know the card number, you can find out where your vote is by entering your mobile phone number. You can find out where your vote is on the website by entering your district, constituency, name and age.

Halwa for maiden vote

Halwa is being distributed to maiden voters at the booths selected under the name 'Vote Sweetened Kerala'. 200 halwa packets have been delivered to each DEO office. There are 4,66,408 maiden voters in the state.

As the heat continues throughout the day, it is advisable to wear a hat when going to the polling booth. Those who are walking should remember to bring an umbrella. Avoid exposing your body to the sun directly between 11 am and 3 pm. Heat can cause health problems such as sunstroke, heatstroke, and dehydration.

The most problematic booths in the state are in Kannur - 771, then followed by Kozhikode - 312, Kasaragod - 238, Thiruvananthapuram - 212, Kollam - 189, Wayanad - 69.