Kerala elections: Over 2.6 crore voters to decide fate of 883 candidates

Over 2.6 crore electors will vote on Thursday to elect the 140-member Kerala Assembly. 883 candidates are in the fray in a three-cornered fight between the ruling LDF, the Congress-led UDF, and the BJP-led NDA. Voting begins at 7 AM.

Over 2,6 crore electors will rush to poll stations on Thursday to decide the fate of 883 candidates across 140 assembly constituencies in Kerala and elect its 140-member Legislative Assembly in a high-stakes battle between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The voting in Keralam is being held in a single phase and will begin at 7 AM. The current Assembly's tenure ends on May 23.

Electorate Profile and Polling Infrastructure

In the south-Indian state, over 2,6 crore electors will decide the fate of 883 candidates across 140 constituencies. The electorate comprises 2,69,53,644 registered voters, in which the total number of female voters is 1,38,27,319, the number of male voters is 1,31,26,048, and the number of Third gender category voters is 277. Among them, around 4,24,518 voters are in the 18-19 age group, and 2,04,608 voters are in the senior citizen category, aged 85 years and above For a smooth voting process, 30,471 polling stations have been set up, out of which 119 are logistic and voter machine distribution centres and 41 are vote counting centres.

Chief Electoral Officer on Poll Arrangements

Keralam Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar said that 1.46 lakh trained polling personnel will be dispatched to all the polling stations. He also informed that FIRs in election-related activities have been registered against 180 people.

"As part of the arrangements for Kerala Assembly elections, we have the total electorate of 2.71 crores, and the service voters are 53,984... We will be counting the votes in 140 strong rooms and 43 locations. We have 1.46 lakh polling personnel who have been trained and will be dispatched to all the polling stations... We have FIRs against 180 people in terms of election-related activities, and more than 1,200 police teams are very actively working in the field... We are ensuring that all the new initiatives by the Election Commission are implemented properly," he told ANI on Wednesday.

Political Landscape and 2021 Results

Keralam has been governed by the CPI(M)-led LDF for the past decade. In the 2021 elections, the LDF retained power with 99 seats, becoming the first incumbent government since 1977 to win consecutive terms. The UDF won 41 seats, while the NDA, led by the BJP, failed to win any seats despite an 11.4 per cent vote share. Following the victory, Pinarayi Vijayan became the first Keralam CM to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term. The CPI(M) emerged as the largest party with 62 seats; Congress secured 21, and the CPI won 17. The Indian Union Muslim League, a key UDF ally, won 15 seats.

Key Alliances in the Fray

The LDF includes parties such as Keralam Congress (M), Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Nationalist Congress Party, while the UDF comprises Congress, Keralam Congress, and the Indian Union Muslim League.

The NDA, led by the BJP, also includes regional parties such as Twenty 20, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena, and Keralam Kamaraj Congress. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)