Suresh Gopi Votes in Kerala Polls, Urges "Diligent and Intelligent" Choice

The actor-turned-politician was among the early voters who exercised their franchise, with polling beginning at 7 am across the state amid tight security and elaborate arrangements by the Election Commission.

Speaking to ANI after casting his vote, Gopi emphasised the significance of the electoral moment, not just for the state but in the broader national electoral cycle. "This is a very important day for Kerala. See, Puducherry is there and then in a couple of days' time, Assam, West Bengal and phases are also happening parallelly. So, but for Kerala this is a very important year, very important moment," he said.

Urging voters to make informed choices, Gopi added, "From year to moment, you split it into any particle, it is very important for the people of Kerala. This decision that you arrive at, the people will arrive at, cannot follow. It should not fail. Decide diligently and then intelligently. Don't give the magic wand to anyone." He further remarked that voters are well aware of the changes they have witnessed over time and should evaluate progress accordingly.

"They have done solidly well. They have reached the last grain of the democratic campaign engineering, all those areas they have reached. The last bit they have touched. We can only wait for results. I should not be telling you about it. You should assess, you know very well what is the change before and after. It is permanent growth. Stubborn growth. It will keep growing," he said while speaking about the NDA's prospects and expected results of the polls.

Polling began simultaneously in Keralam, Assam, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, marking a crucial phase in the ongoing electoral cycle. While Keralam is voting in a single phase for all 140 constituencies, Assam is witnessing polling across 126 seats, and Puducherry across 30 seats. Tamil Nadu and West Bengal will vote later this month, with counting scheduled for May 4.

In Keralam, over 2.69 crore registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots, including 1.38 crore women and 1.31 crore men, along with 277 voters in the third gender category. Nearly 4.24 lakh first-time voters aged 18-19 are participating, while over 2 lakh voters are aged above 85.

To facilitate voting, authorities have set up 30,471 polling stations across the state. Keralam Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar stated that approximately 1.46 lakh trained polling personnel have been deployed to ensure seamless conduct of the election. Votes for the Assembly elections will be counted on May 4.

- ANI