Polling percentage touches 80 in Aroor

Barring minor technical snags, polling remains peaceful and incident-free

Despite incessant rain that lashed the region, the byelection in the Aroor Assembly constituency registered a high voter turnout on Monday.

As much as 80.47% of the 1.92 lakh voters exercised their franchise when polling closed at 6 p.m.

The polling percentage is likely to go up slightly as the Election Commission has not yet released the final figures. In the 2016 Assembly election, the constituency registered 85.43% voter turnout.

According to officials, the polling was peaceful and largely incident-free, barring minor technical snags in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) at a few polling booths.

The machines that developed glitches were promptly replaced and voting continued. The proceedings during the day began with a mock poll at 6 a.m.

The polling started at 7 a.m. on a dull note with 5.48% voter turnout registered in the first hour. However, as the day progressed voting picked up momentum.

Inclement weather

Braving inclement weather, voters including women, the elderly and the differently abled turned out in large numbers to cast their votes.

Six candidates

Long queues were seen in a number of polling booths across the constituency.

By 1 p.m., 45.37% electorate cast their vote. All voters who reached the polling station by 6 p.m. were allowed to exercise their franchise.

The fate of six candidates including Manu C. Pulickal of the CPI (M), Shanimol Usman of the Congress and K.P. Prakash Babu of the BJP has been sealed in the EVMs.

The counting of votes will take place on October 24.

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