Sporadic violence during polling
No instances requiring re-poll reported
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Apart from sporadic incidents of violence, rain and several cases of electronic voting machines developing faults, the first-phase of the local body elections in seven districts on Monday was smooth. No re-polling was reported till Monday evening.
The polling was sluggish till noon in many areas in the 15,096 polling stations owing to the rain. Later, the picture changed and voters started flocking the booths. Long queues were witnessed in many polling stations even as the polling time ended by 5 p.m.
About 25 incidents of violence were reported from various parts of the state. The major ones were the attack on UDF woman candidate Reshma Gopan at Pariyam and on CPM candidate Lettuce Jerome at Perinad in Kollam. In Kasargod two persons reportedly died during the polling.
According to official sources, about 20 cases of EVMs developing trouble were reported, majority of which were single-post. At Chathanoor in Kollam, polling was disrupted in the 6th ward for about two hours as the substitute EVM also became defunct. Polling at some stations in the rural parts of the district was affected owing to heavy rain also.
State election commission K. Sasidharan Nair said no re-polling was required anywhere. “There were no incidents like booth-capturing or attacks on polling stations,” he said.
Most law and order problems were reported from Kannur and Kasargod areas. At Kanhangad, CPM-Congress clashes took place over distribution of slips to voters. A police party was also subsequently attacked, causing injury to one. Tension was reported from Beemapally area also.
Polling was not affected due to elaborate security arrangements. The election commission was also in constant touch with state police chief T.P. Senkumar to give swift orders. Polls were conducted to 9,220 wards on Monday. There were 31,161 candidates in the fray.
SECOND PHASE ON THURSDAY
The public campaign in the remaining seven districts going to the polls on Thursday was over by Monday. The districts are Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram.