Assam Leads Voter Turnout at 38.9%, Kerala & Puducherry See Steady Polling

The polling trends in the Union Territory of Puducherry showed a voter turnout of 37.06 per cent.

Earlier in the day, the voter turnout at 9 am in Assam was recorded at 17.87 per cent, while in Keralam it was at 16.23 per cent. The polling turnout in the Union Territory of Puducherry was 17.41 per cent at 9 am.

Polling for high-stakes electoral battles in two States and a Union Territory began on Thursday at 7 am.

Voting for 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Keralam, and 30 in Puducherry is underway. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.

In Keralam, over 2.6 crore electors will decide the fate of 883 candidates across 140 constituencies. Of the 2,69,53,644 registered voters across the state, there are 1,38,27,319 women voters, and the number of male voters stands at 1,31,26,048. Officials said that there are 277 third gender voters in the state.

Among the electorate, nearly 4,24,518 voters fall in the 18-19 age group, while 2,04,608 voters are aged 85 years and above. To facilitate safe and secure polling, a total of 30,471 polling stations have been set up.

While the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF is looking for a historic third consecutive term, the Congress-led UDF is attempting to come back to power amid anti-incumbency trends in the state.

In Assam, more than 2.5 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise for the 126-member legislative assembly. There are 722 candidates in the fray. Of 2,50,54,463 electors, 1,25,31,552 are male voters and 1,25,22,593 females. There are 318 Transgender voters and 63,423 service voters.

Among the electorate, 6,42,314 voters are in the age group of 18-19 years, 2,50,006 are above 80 years of age, and 2,05,085 are persons with disabilities.

To strengthen the monitoring mechanism, webcasting facilities have been arranged in accordance with the Commission's directions, a release said. Webcasting has been enabled in all 31,490 polling stations, including 31,486 main polling stations and four auxiliary polling stations. A total of 1,51,132 polling personnel have been deployed for the conduct of the election.

For polling purposes, 41,320 Ballot Units, 43,975 Control Units, and 43,997 VVPAT machines have been arranged, including reserves for emergency use. Additional polling personnel have also been kept in readiness, if required.

The Congress has stitched a six-party alliance to take on the ruling BJP-led NDA, which is seeking its third successive term in office.

In Puducherry, 10,14,070 electors are eligible to cast their votes for 30 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The electorate includes 5,39,125 female voters, 4,74,788 male voters, and 157 voters belonging to the third gender category. A total of 24,156 voters fall in the age group of 18-19 years, while 6,034 voters belong to the senior citizen category, aged 85 and above.

In Puducherry, the contest involves the ruling NR Congress-led NDA and the Congress-DMK alliance. Actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has also thrown a hat in the ring.

- ANI