KOCHI: With the LDF and the UDF engaged in tight fights in several constituencies in the district, the postal votes are likely to prove decisive. The Election Commission has facilitated 47,892 postal votes in Ernakulam district which has 14 assembly seats.Of the total postal votes, 45,878 were polled until Friday, officials said. The postal ballots are supposed to reach the respective returning officers before 8am on Sunday.
The Piravom constituency has the highest number of postal votes — 5,252 — while Kochi (2,168) has the lowest. In Kunnathunad, which witnessed a four-cornered fight, the corresponding figure is 3,851. This time, the number of postal ballots have gone up as the Election Commission identified absentee voters who were not in a position to go to polling booths to exercise their franchise. Covid-positive persons, those in quarantine, physically-challenged persons, those above 80 years, and essential services employees on election duty.
Kunnathunad, Tripunithura and Kothamangalam are among the constituencies where postal votes could decide the winners in close contests. However, district Congress vice president Mohammed Shiyas dismissed reports that postal votes are likely to play a crucial role. Only Kunnathunad has even a remote possibility of such a situation, he said.
“Kalamassery, Vypeen and Thrikkakara have only around 2,000 postal votes,” he pointed out. At the same time, he said the UDF, in the light of widespread complaints regarding postal ballots, has trained its counting agents to watch out for ballots that flout Election Commission directions.Meanwhile, LDF district convener George Edaparathy said postal votes are as crucial as normal votes in deciding the winner.Postal voting for those in the essential services sector took place at special centres in 14 assembly constituencies in the district.