By-polling progressing in Chelakkara and Wayanad, long queue in polling booths

THRISSUR/WAYANAD: The voting in Wayanad and Chelakkara where the by-polls are being held is progressing. A large queue of voters was witnessed in the polling booths from early morning itself. The polling started at 7 am and the voters can cast their votes till 6 pm. The candidates were busy meeting the voters directly yesterday where a silent campaigning was seen. LDF candidate U R Pradeep is facing Ramya Haridas of the UDF in Chelakkara. K Balakrishnan is the BJP candidate here.

AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is the UDF candidate in Wayanad. She was fielded here after her brother Rahul Gandhi, opposition leader in Lok Sabha, resigned from the constituency. CPI’s senior leader Sathyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas are the LDF and BJP candidates.

In Chelakkara, the elderly and differently-abled cast their votes at home. There were 925 voters above 85. A total of 1375 votes were polled. Out of the 457 differently-abled people who got special consideration, 450 voted. The voting was video graphed. District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh has announced prohibitory orders in Thiruvambady constituency in the context of Wayanad elections. The prohibitory orders are from 6 pm yesterday to 6 pm today. The order states that there should be no rallies, public meetings and jathas. Static surveillance team and flying squad are there to check whether the order is being followed. Strict action will be taken against those violating the ban.