Polling ends for phase 1 elections in Kerala; Erattupetta records 84 per cent voter turnout

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Voting hours for local bodies in the state ended at 6 pm on Tuesday. Over 70.28 per cent polling was recorded till 6 pm. Those who continue to queue after the specified time will be allowed to vote. Among the corporations, Kollam recorded the highest polling at 62.18 per cent. Meanwhile, Erattupetta Municipality recorded 84 per cent voting.

After nine hours of polling, Ernakulam is leading with 60 per cent voter turnout, while the lowest was observed in Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram.

Voting continues in seven districts today for the first phase of the local body elections. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam districts are already in polling booths. Voting will continue till 6 pm. Prominent personalities from the film and political milieu have come to cast their votes.

12:36 pm — Actor Dileep and wife Kavya Madhavan, along with their family, cast their votes at St. Francis LP School, Aluva

12:03 pm — Shashi Tharoor MP arrived at Cotton Hill School in Thiruvananthapuram to cast his vote. The Congress candidate from the ward was seen accompanying the Thiruvananthapuram MP.

12:00 pm — Minister G R Anil came to cast vote at Neeramankara NSS College in the Pappanamcode ward.

12:00 pm — Minister Sivankutty and wife Parvathy cast their votes at Booth 1 in Fort Ward

11:55 pm — Minister P Rajeev and family cast their votes at St. Paul's College, Kalamassery, Ernakulam

11:50: Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar cast his vote at Kowdiar Jawahar Nagr school

11:48 pm —Actress Chippy Renjith, her daughter Avantika, husband and producer M Renjith and Chippy's mother Thankam cast their votes at Jawahar Nagar LPS in Kowdiar ward

Polling began late due to a technical glitch in the voting machine at booth number 1 of Kollam Corporation's Bharanikavu division. The same glitch was also witnessed in machines at Vandiperiyar Thangamalai.

BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar came to vote at Jawahar Nagar earlier in the morning and said that a political wind of change would soon hit Kerala. Meanwhile, the opposition leader predicted a historic return for Congress in the local body polls. Satheesan alleged that the government were shielding those involved in the Sabarimala gold loot and said that there was pressure from the CM office to not question those arrested in the gold theft case until the end of elections.