Aruvikkara bypolls: 24 per cent increase in votes polled

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The number of people who cast their votes in the Aruvikkara byelection on Saturday was 24 per cent more than the voters who exercised their franchise in constituency during the 2011 assembly elections.

In 2011, 1,16,427 people cast their votes in the constituency. On June 27 this year, 1,43,264 people cast their votes, an increase of 26,837. The increase in the number of male and female voters is virtually the same, 11 per cent.

A study conducted by the Survey Research Centre of the Department of Politics, Kerala University, has found that young voters and women are more inclined to vote for Congress candidate Sabarinathan. “It was found that the new voters and women were less committed politically. They were generally in favour of Sabarinathan,” said Dr Josekutty of the Department of Politics.

The BJP, however, views the influx of fresh young voters as a positive sign. “The youth have rallied behind the BJP ever since Narendra Modi raised the clarion call for change,” said BJP state president V. Muralidharan.

CPM district secretary Kadakampally Surendran said that the anti-incumbency vote would be expressed mostly by the new voters. “These young voters belong to the aspirational class and kind of development seen in Aruvikkara is generally seen as an insult,” he said.