About 78% of voters in the district polled their votes to elect their representatives to the 17th Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Polling began on a brisk note across the district comprising Palakkad and Alathur constituencies and peaked by the afternoon. Polling continued into late evening, as there were long queues of voters awaiting their turn at many booths in the district. When Palakkad witnessed 77.23% polling, Alathur saw 79.46% turnout.

Voters, particularly elders and women holding little children, turned up to exercise their right braving the summer heat and long queues.

The showers that the district got on Monday night had eased the sweltering summer heat to a good extent.

Out of the 21.97 lakh voters spread in 12 Assembly segments in the district, 16.89 lakh had cast their votes by 7 p.m.

The polling figures are likely to change as polling had not closed at 7.30 p.m. at some booths.

Largest turnout

When Malampuzha Assembly segment witnessed the largest turnout of voters (1,59,361), Tarur saw the lowest turnout (1,27,545).

Although there were eight transgender voters in the district, only one of them cast their vote.

When Thrithala Assembly segment (part of Ponnani constituency) saw 72.57% polling, Pattambi had 72.98% voter turnout.

Polling percentage in other Assembly segments were Shoranur (76.98%), Ottappalam (76.58%), Kongad (77.8%), Mannarkkad (77.78%), Malampuzha (77.64%), Palakkad (74.53%, Tarur (77.69%), Chittur (80.23%), Nemmara (79.51%), and Alathur (78.17%).

UDF candidate in Palakkad V.K. Sreekandan polled his vote at St.Teresa’s High School, Shoranur. NDA candidate C. Krishnakumar polled his vote at GLP School, Ayyapuram. UDF candidate in Alathur Ramya Haridas cast her vote at AWH Engineering College, Kuttikkattur, in Kozhikode district. NDA candidate T.V. Babu polled his vote at St. Antony’s Higher Secondary School, Pazhuvil, Nattika.

Voting slowed down at several places because of technical snags and lack of efficiency in some officials.

No major disruption

Although no major disruption was reported from anywhere, polling had to be stopped at least for over half-an-hour at those booths.

Voters returned home without voting after having had to wait for more than an hour or two at a few places in the district because of slow voting.

Voters blamed the officials for the slow pace of voting at places like BSS Gurukulam Higher Secondary School, Alathur; CJB School, Kinassery; Higher Secondary School, Vallapuzha; and GLP School, Kodumbu. However, most voters returned and cast their ballot in the afternoon.

Long queues of voters were seen at several booths when the polling deadline passed at 6 p.m.

Although there was angst on the faces of the voters who were in the last leg of polling, the officials were seen alleviating their concerns.

All those who had been in the queue at 6 p.m. were allowed to vote. At Higher Secondary School, Vallapuzha, there were more than 250 voters in the queue at 6 p.m. At GLP School, Kalappetty, Kuzhalmannam, in Alathur constituency, a long queue of voters was seen awaiting their turn at 7.30 p.m.

A similar queue was also seen at Marakavu LP School, Erumayur, around the same time.