75 lakh brave covid scare to vote in local body polls

KOCHI: Covid scare seemed to have little impact on the local body elections as the five districts – Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad – that went to the polls in the second phase on Thursday registered a higher turnout of 76.38 per cent than the 73.12 percent recorded in the first phase. The elections were held under strict Covid safety protocol. As per the official figures issued by the State Election Commission at 9pm, Wayanad recorded the highest turnout at 79.46 per cent, while Kottayam recorded the lowest at 73.91 per cent.

A total of 75,23,571 voters, including 36,72,206 men, 38,51,350 women and 15 transgender persons, voted till 8pm. Voters’ response was lukewarm in Kochi and Thrissur corporations, with a turnout of only 62.01 per cent and 63.77 per cent, respectively. As in the first phase, the second phase saw brisk polling in rural areas and low voter turnout in urban areas.

However, the overall turnout in the five districts this time was lower than the 2015 local body polls, when 78.74 per cent voters had exercised their franchise. Kochi Corporation witnessed a seven per cent drop in polling percentage this time from 69.62 in 2015, while polling percentage in Thrissur Corporat ion dropped eight points from 71.88 in 2015.

Complaints of bogus voting were reported at a few booths in Kottayam and Ernakulam districts. A police officer and a woman voter collapsed and died during voting in Wayanad. Barring minor scuffles reported from Kottayam and Ernakulam, voting was largely peaceful in the five districts.A total of 8,116 wards in 451 local bodies across the five districts went to the polls in the second phase.