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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