Second phase of local body election begins; northern Kerala to polling booths, long queue in booths

THRISSUR: The second phase of polling to the local body elections in Kerala started at 7 am Thursday morning. The voters from Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod will poll on Thursday. Voting will end by 6 pm. In the first phase, the seven districts of southern Kerala have been polled. With this, the local body election in all 14 districts will be completed. The re-polling at Mannanchery Government High School Booth, where the voting machine malfunctioned in the first phase, is being held today. The votes will be counted on Saturday.

The election today is for 182 divisions in seven district panchayats, 1177 divisions in the 77 block panchayats, 9015 wards in 470 village panchayats, 1829 wards in 47 municipalities and 188 wards under three corporations. Over 1.53 crore voters will cast their vote today. This includes 80.9 lakh female voters and 72.46 male voters. 18,274 polling stations have arranged in seven districts.
The complaint of sexual abuse against former CPM MLA wass hidden by the chief minister, said Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala. The chief minister is protecting womanizers. Hypocrisy is not right. He added that Congress has taken exemplary action in the issue of Rahul Mamkoottathil.
The political wave is favorable for the left front, said CPM state secretary M V Govindan. He added that the country will know that this election is a curtain raiser before the assembly election and LDF will continue with a great majority.
Minister M B Rajesh cast vote at Kayiliad KVUP School, the second booth in ward 15 of Chalavara in Palakkad.
Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar cast his vote at the booth in Poonoor GMUP School.
Abbas Ali Shihab Thangal, Sadiqali Shihab Thangal, P K Kunhalikutty and Munavvar Ali Shihab Thangal pose after voting.
Minister K Krishnankutty and family cast vote at S N U P School at Nallamadan Challa in Vilayodi.
BJP leader K Surendran said there will be strong public outrage against those involved in the Sabarimala gold theft. The investigation in the gold theft is concluding with former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board, A Padmakumar. There is no investigation against the elite. The voters are strongly annoyed by this. Devaswom loot has happened during the UDF rule too, he responded.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his wife cast their votes in Dharmadom.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph cast his vote. He said that the anti-people measures of the government will end by today. The government is protecting the CPM leaders arrested in the gold theft case. He also responded that the investigation has frozen during the election.
Muslim League state president Sayyid Sadiqali Shihab Thangal cast vote. The victory of UDF is certain and the anti-government sensation would influence the people, he responded after voting.
Mock polling was interrupted at ward 13 (Parakkulam) of Muthuvalloor village panchayat.