THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/ GUWAHATI, Apr 9:
Assam registered a record voter turnout of over 85 per cent while Kerala witnessed an impressive polling with more than 78 per cent in the assembly elections on Thursday, according to the latest Election Commission figures, as the ruling dispensations in the two States eye a third consecutive term in power.
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Dubbing the high voter turnout as “historic,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma said the result of this “election is already visible– in the hope, pride, and happiness” on the faces of our people. However, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi asserted that the overwhelming turnout was for a “new and greater Assam” and a new leadership at the helm.
“It is now the responsibility of the ECI to ensure the security of EVMs and conduct the counting of votes accurately,” Gogoi added.
Both Sarma and Gogoi are among the 722 candidates contesting from 126 constituencies in these elections. The total number of voters is 2.5 crore. In 2021, Assam recorded 82.04 per cent in the assembly polls.
In Kerala, where competition between the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) has traditionally driven high participation, 883 candidates are contesting from the 140 assembly constituencies. The total number of voters is 2.71 crore.
CPI(M) leader C N Mohanan said an increase in the polling percentage would benefit the LDF because its workers had worked to ensure maximum voter turnout.
BJP Ernakulam district president K S Shaiju said the increase in polling percentage resulted from a higher turnout of women voters, and this would favour the BJP. Congress leader Deepthi Mary Varghese, however, said the reasons behind the rise in the polling percentage required detailed analysis.”Usually, the trend is that when the polling percentage rises, it turns favourable to the UDF. However, a detailed analysis is required in this matter,” she said.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar expressed confidence that the current voting trend indicates that a turnout of 90 per cent will be achieved.
In the 2021 assembly polls, 74.06 per cent voter turnout was registered in Kerala.
Along with Kerala and Assam, the voting for the 30-member Puducherry assembly was also held on Thursday. It registered a record turnout of more than 86 per cent in the polls, where the opposition Congress-led bloc is pushing to wrest power from the AINRC-led front in the union territory. (PTI)
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