69 per cent polling in Thiruvananthapuram district

 

Polling at the city corporation remained low at 60 per cent like in previous elections but the municipalities and rural centres recorded a good turnout in spite of a cold start at all centres.

 

Due to heavy rains in most of the city wards and at the municipalities of Neyyatinkara and Nedumangadu, the polling was too low until the sun showed up around afternoon.

 

Almost all the booths in the city recorded just between 20 to 25 per cent polling until 11am. Only a few stations like Kanjiramapara LP School and Ponnara School (Muttathra) experienced good polling.

 

In Medical College, the polling per cent was a mere 47 even at around 4pm. Similar was the case at Keshavdasapuram, Ulloor and Pattom.

 

In the city, Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) at Sreevarahom and Mannanthala developed glitches. On the outskirts, EVMs developed a snag at two different booths at Karode and one each at Pothenocode, Elangamon and Parassala respectively. Everywhere tense candidates could be spotted while a few confident ones discreetly took a head count of their sure votes.  

 

At Vazhuthacaud, people had a slight confusion in polling booths scattered across various buildings of Cotton Hill School.

 

The mayoral candidate of UDF, Maheshwaran Nair who was contesting from Mudavanmugal, was visibly confident after having seen many voters from Tamalam, his stronghold.

 

BJP heavy weight Ashok Kumar who is contesting from Vanchiyoor fears at least some voters were misguided by a namesake called Ashokan. 

 

Polls were peaceful at St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Shanghumugham, sensitive stations with live web casting. Sensitive Beemapally was also under tight security.