THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite the pandemic threat and rising mercury levels, voters come out in large numbers to decide who will rule them in the next five years. Interestingly, most of them are not ready to predict the outcome
Given the pandemic, apart from the 2,736 polling booths, 1,428 additional booths were opened to facilitate the assembly elections this year. In majority of booths, voting began at sharp 7am. By 3.30pm, the voting percentage had already crossed 60. Apart from a couple of untoward incidents like bogus voting and few conflicts, the assembly polling was under control in Thiruvananthapuram.
Too soon to tell
Many voters said it’s impossible to read the current political trend and predict who would win. They would rather wait and tell if the state would re-elect the LDF government, or the merit will go to UDF. The odds of BJP winning a higher percentage is also a point of discussion.
The polling created heavy traffic jams on the diversion road linking Shankhumukham and the airport. The police had a hard time managing the vehicles. Suja Kumari P, a woman police officer on duty at the polling booth at Vallakadavu, was seen guiding the voters to the respective booths at St Roch’s Convent School. She said that the situation is under control from the morning.
“There are 12 booths here and there is no crowding. Postal ballots made a difference and a majority of the elderly population cast their votes from homes. But there was heavy rush during the morning hours,” says Suja Kumari.