Idukki witnessed a voter turnout of 74.5% in the local body elections on Tuesday. In the last local body elections, the district had recorded a voter turnout of 78.33%.
The Kattappana and Thodupuzha municipalities recorded a turnout of 74.57% and 82.11% respectively in this election. The block panchayat-wise voting percentage is as follows: Nedumkandam 77.06, Elamdesam 79.26, Idukki 73.26, Adimali 73.81, Thodupuzha 77.79, Azhutha 69.92, Kattappana 74.17, and Devikulam 69.01.
The Thodupuzha municipality witnessed 83.45% and Kattappana municipality 78.03% in the last elections. The block panchayat-wise voting percentage in 2015 was Thodupuzha 76.42, Elamdesam 82.83, Kattappana 77.70, Adimali 78, Nedumkandam 78.17, Azhutha 77.67, Idukki 78.66, and Thodupuzha 81.31.
The plantation areas of Peerumade witnessed a relatively lower voter turnout. A large number of voters had shifted from the closed tea estates to their native places and only a few remained there.
Electricity Minister M.M. Mani cast his vote at booth one of Irupathekkar Lower Primary School.
P.J. Joseph, leader of the Jospeh faction of the Kerala Congress(M), cast his vote at booth two of Purappuzha Government LP School in Thodupuzha while tribal king Kovilmala Raman Rajamannan cast his vote at booth two of Mannakudi Government Tribal School at Kumily.
Edamalakkudy
Polling officials will return from Edamalakkudy with election material only on Wednesday.
This is in view of the threat posed by wild animals while moving on the rough terrain from Societykudy to Pettimudy, a distance of 18 km through forests.
Though the road to Edamalakkudy, inside the Munnar Forest Division, was washed away in the August flood with Pettimudy witnessing a major landslip, it was repaired prior to the elections.
Third polls
This is the third local body elections in Edamalakkudy, which was carved out of a ward in Munnar grama panchayat in 2010. The grama panchayat was created exclusively for the Muthuvan tribespeople.
Devikulam Subcollector S. Prem Krishnan said polling officials would leave Edamalakkudy only on Wednesday. This was due to the chances of wild animals prowling in the area by evening.A team of 65 polling officials, 30 police personnel, and 13 guides moved to Edamalakkudy on Monday morning. Edamalakkudy recorded 71.22% polling in the last local body elections.
The settlements at Edamalakkudy are scattered over a wide area inside the forest. There was a drop in the number of voters from the local body elections in 2015. There were 1,909 voters this year.
