By-elections in Kerala: Wayanad and Chelakkara record nearly 10 per cent voter turnout in first two hours
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Nov 13, 2024, 9:28 AM ISTKerala byelection: Early voting enthusiasm is evident in the Wayanad Lok Sabha and Chelakkara Assembly constituencies, with nearly 10% voter turnout recorded in the first two hours. Thiruvambadi leads with the highest turnout at 7.51%, followed by Ernad, Vandoor, and other constituencies in Wayanad
Thiruvananthapuram: Strong voter turnout is reported in the Wayanad Lok Sabha and Chelakkara Assembly constituencies, where by-elections are underway. Within the first two hours of polling, nearly 10% of voters had already cast their ballots. As of 8:25 am, the Thiruvambadi constituency recorded the highest voter turnout in Wayanad at 7.51%. Other constituencies reported the following turnout after the first hour of polling: Ernad at 7.45%, Vandoor at 6.83%, Mananthavady at 6.69%, Sultan Bathery at 6.57%, and Nilambur at 6.27%.
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Polling was disrupted at several booths in Wayanad, including Booth 117, due to technical glitches in voting machines. In Chelakkara, a technical issue occurred at Booth 116 in Pampady School, Thiruvilwamala Panchayat, where BJP candidate K. Balakrishnan was scheduled to vote. After the first vote was cast, the machine displayed an "invalid" message. Similar problems were reported in two locations within the Thiruvambadi constituency: Booth 86 in Poovaramthode, Koodaranji Panchayat, and Booth 117 in Agasthyamuzhi.
Alongside Kerala, by-elections are being held today in 32 assembly constituencies across several states. West Bengal has six constituencies going to the polls, Bihar four, Rajasthan seven, Assam five, Karnataka three, and Sikkim and Madhya Pradesh two each. Additionally, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Meghalaya each have one constituency voting today. Security has been heightened in constituencies with a potential for unrest.
Earlier, by-elections initially scheduled for November 13 in four constituencies in Punjab, nine in Uttar Pradesh, and Palakkad in Kerala were postponed to November 20 by the Election Commission.
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