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Kerala civic polls: Over 75 pc polling in second phase
Thiruvananthapuram: Over 75 percent voting was recorded in local bodies elections in seven districts of Kerala on Monday, officials said. Polling passed off mostly peacefully, barring skirmishes reported from a few places.
According to preliminary figures released by the State Election Commission, the poll percentage has crossed 75 percent, up from 62.71 percent in these districts in last edition of the polls in 2005.
In the first phase of the elections Oct 23 in seven districts, 75.33 percent voting was recorded.
Counting will be held on Wednesday with Kerala set to become India's first state to see women heading 50 percent (605) of the total 1,208 local bodies.
These include 489 gram panchayats, 76 block panchayats, seven district panchayats, 30 municipalities and three corporations in the state.
A State Election Commission spokesperson told that the total seats for which polls was held was 21,612 and of these, 11,135 seats are kept for women.
'Of these, 8,613 seats would be the grama panchayats, 1,051 in block panchayats, 169 district panchayats, 1,121 in municipalities and 181 in the five corporations. The general rule is that in a panchayat if the total number of members is an odd number, then the total number of women would be one more than the men,' the spokesperson said.
A total of 70,915 candidates were in the fray. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) were being used only in corporations and municipalities, while traditional ballot papers are being used in the gram, block and district panchayats.
The local bodies elections were last held in 2005 and since then all the five corporations in the state are being governed by the LDF, which is also in power in 11 of the 14 district panchayats, 33 of 53 municipalities, 114 of 152 block panchayats and 688 out of 984 gram panchayats as well.
A sub-inspector of police was hacked and hospitalised at Thakazhi in Alappuzha, following a dispute between CPI-M and BJP workers over alleged bogus voting, official sources said. Some stray incidents of violence were reported in Palakkad, Kottayam and Idukki also.
Repolling was held in seven booths in the politically volatile Kannur district where polling was marred by violence on Saturday, triggering a war of words between CPI-M and Congress leaders. UDF has boycotted elections in two booths here following CPM attacks against its cadres.
In the second phase also Social Democratic Party of India was very active in all seven districts. It’s estimated that the party would show its strength in districts like Malappuram, Kollam, Idukki, Kannur and Alappuzha. Elections analysers have attributed the high turnout throughout the state to the active participation of SDPI in the process
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