‘Festival of Democracy’: Kerala set for Assembly polls​

Thiruvananthapuram, April 8 Kerala heads to the polls on April 9 to elect 140 members to its Legislative Assembly, with voting set to begin at 7 a.m. and continue till 6 p.m.​

A total of 2.71 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise, including 1.32 crore men, 1.39 crore women, and 273 transgender persons.​

The electorate also includes over 2.42 lakh overseas voters, underscoring the scale and diversity of the democratic exercise.​

Across the state, 30,495 polling stations have been set up, including 24 auxiliary booths to manage turnout efficiently.​

Notably, 352 polling stations will be managed entirely by women, while 37 will be run by persons with disabilities, reflecting an emphasis on inclusive participation.​

Meanwhile, all the top political leaders have by now informed the media of the time and place they will vote, giving publicity to their respective parties.​

AICC General Secretary K. C. Venugopal will vote in Alappuzha at 8:30 a.m., while KPCC President Sunny Joseph will cast his ballot at 7 a.m. in Kannur.​

Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan will also vote at 7 a.m. in Paravur.​

Veteran leader and former Chief Minister A. K. Antony, along with former Congress president M. M. Hassan, will vote in Thiruvananthapuram in the morning.​

Senior Congress legislator Ramesh Chennithala will vote in Alappuzha district, while Shashi Tharoor will vote in the state capital city.​

On the Left front, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) state secretary M. V. Govindan, and Minister Kadanapally Ramachandran will vote in Kannur.​

Prominent film personalities, including Mammootty in Kochi and Jagadish in Thiruvananthapuram, will also join voters.​

While the Left leaders are confident of a historic third term for Vijayan, Congress veterans have announced they will score a century. ​

Not to be left behind, the BJP-led NDA is hoping against hope that they will not only reopen their account but also win multiple seats.​

--IANS​

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