Rohit Kumar
NEW DELHI, Apr 9: At least 30 people were injured in poll-related violence in Assam on Thursday as the polling in the Assam and Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry concluded with higher voters turn-out compared to the 2021 elections.
A senior police officer said the Congress candidate in Patharkandi constituency in Sribhumi district, Kartik Sena Sinha, allegedly entered the Rangamati polling booth and started an argument with the presiding officer. “He claimed fake electors cast genuine people’s votes. When the presiding officer denied the charge, he broke the EVM. Following this, supporters of Congress and the BJP started a fight,” he added.
The voting process in the two states and the union territory, which began at 7 am, was conducted under tight security and extensive monitoring by the Election Commission to ensure free and fair polls. Voters in large numbers turned out across constituencies to decide the fate of hundreds of candidates in the three Assemblies. Key leaders, including Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, were among the early voters. Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangaswamy also cast his vote, maintaining his long-standing tradition of riding his motorcycle to the polling booth.
The elections were held for 126 seats in Assam, 140 seats in Kerala, and 30 seats in Puducherry, with key political alliances and regional players locked in intense contests. The votes in the three assemblies will be counted along with Tamil Nadu and West Bengal on May 4.
An estimated 84.42 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Assam as polling concluded at 5 pm across all 126 Assembly constituencies, surpassing the 82.04 per cent turnout in the 2021 elections, officials said. Dalgaon registered the highest polling at 94.57 per cent, while Amri recorded the lowest at 70.40 per cent.
The election saw participation from 722 candidates in a largely direct contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance, led by the BJP and the opposition bloc spearheaded by the Congress. The BJP-led alliance is aiming for a third consecutive term in the state, while the Congress is seeking to regain power after a decade.
In Kerala, a turnout of 75.01 per cent was recorded, slightly higher than that of the 2021 Assembly polls, which saw a polling percentage of 74.06 per cent in Kerala as the voting for the 140 Assembly seats concluded at 6 pm. Final turnout will be available only after people who left at the polling stations cast their ballots.
The crucial elections will decide whether the ruling LDF will get a straight third term, or if the UDF makes a comeback, or if BJP springs a surprise in an otherwise bipolar battle. The ruling LDF is fighting to retain power, banking on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s model of governance and welfare. The Congress-led UDF is vying to regain power, seeking to end a decade of Left rule in the state.
Voting for the 30 Assembly constituencies in the Union Territory of Puducherry concluded at 6 pm. According to initial estimates, the polling percentage has crossed 86 per cent, which was higher than about 84 per cent recorded in 2021. As the NDA is fighting to retain power, the opposition Congress-led bloc is pushing to wrest power from the AINRC-led front in the union territory, centering its campaign on local autonomy and administrative friction.
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