High-voltage triangular fight concludes with 70.51% voter turnout in Palakkad

United Democratic Front’s Rahul Mamkootathil, Left Democratic Front’s P. Sarin and BJP’s C. Krishnakumar fought it out vigorously in a high-stakes triangular battle that drew the attention of the entire State to Palakkad.

The Palakkad Assembly constituency went to the polls on Wednesday to elect a replacement for Shafi Parambil, who vacated the seat after his election to the Lok Sabha from Vadakara in April this year.

Although polling started at 7 a.m. on an enthusiastic note, the 184 booths spread across Palakkad municipality and the panchayats of Mathur, Pirayiri and Kannadi witnessed an underwhelming voter turnout of 70.51% when the ballot closed at 6 p.m. Those already in queues were allowed to vote after the deadline. The polling was complete by 8 p.m. in all the booths, according to officials. The polling percentage was 75.2% in the previous elections.

United Democratic Front’s Rahul Mamkootathil, Left Democratic Front’s P. Sarin and BJP’s C. Krishnakumar fought it out vigorously in a high-stakes triangular battle that drew the attention of the entire State to Palakkad.

The poll percentage of 70.51 will change slightly as postal ballots are to be accepted until 7.59 a.m. on Saturday, the counting day.

The tepid electoral participation has bewildered all the three candidates and the fronts they represent, though all of them made tall claims.

Dr. Sarin exuded confidence, forecasting 70,000 votes for himself.

BJP president K. Surendran claimed that the UDF would be lowered to the third position. “After Vadakkunathan, now Visalakshi Sametha Viswanathan,” he wrote on his Facebook wall soon after the election was over, referring to a BJP win in Palakkad after Thrissur. Sree Visalakshi Sametha Viswanathaswamy Temple is the main temple of Tamil Brahmins at Kalpathy.

Mr. Mamkootathil said that the dip in the poll percentage would enhance his victory margin.

As many as 736 poll officials were deployed to manage the 184 polling booths. Polling was webcast from all booths and senior officials monitored the proceedings from a control room at the Collectorate.

Additional security personnel were deployed at the seven critical booths and 58 sensitive booths. Government offices and educational institutions in the constituency were given a holiday.

Dr. Sarin and his wife, Soumya, polled their votes at True Line Public School, Manappullikkavu. Mr. Krishnakumar and his wife, Mini, polled their votes at GLP School, Ayyapuram, Kalpathy. However, Mr. Mamkootathil did not vote as he hailed from Pathanamthitta.

Timely intervention by the police defused tension at Government High School, Vennakkara, when CPI(M) and BJP workers tried to block Mr. Mamkootathil alleging that he canvassed the voters using his symbol at polling booth number 48.

Mr. Mamkootathil reached the polling booth following complaints by sections of voters that they had been in queue for over two hours. While entering the polling booth, the candidate greeted the voters by raising his hand, which was objected to by the BJP and the LDF agents. He said he was prevented by the LDF-BJP workers “who joined hands as they feared an impending defeat.”

Dr. Sarin described it as a drama created by the UDF candidate with the intention of evoking sympathy. “I visited 150-odd booths, but all alone. He has been entering polling booths with his followers. This is illegal,” he said.

Shafi Parambil, MP, CPI(M) leaders A.K. Balan and N.N. Krishnadas cast their votes at their respective booths.

However, V.K. Sreekandan, MP, and Local Self-Governments Minister M.B. Rajesh, who were in the forefront of the election campaign, did not have their vote in Palakkad. BJP district president K.M. Haridas, who was accused of having votes both in Palakkad and Pattambi, did not vote.

Published - November 20, 2024 10:54 pm IST