Kerala civic polls: 2nd phase witnesses enthusiastic voting

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 10 (IANS) The second phase of Kerala’s civic polls in five central districts is seeing a very enthusiastic response from the electorate as after five hours of start of polling there has been a 40 per cent turnout.The first phase of polls was held on Tuesday. on Thursday districts of Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad went to the polls.Superstar Mammootty, a resident of Ernakulam district along with his wife and actor son Dulquer Salman failed to vote as their names went missing from the voters list, as they had moved their residence.Former top bureaucrat turned short story writer N.S.Madhavan after casting his vote at a booth in Ernakulam said the voting pattern in the civic polls has a different picture as it’s mostly concerning local issues.The most keenly awaited contest will be the one at Ernakulam where the ruling CPI-M led Pinarayi Vijayan’s Left Democratic Front is determined to wrest the Cochin Corporation, which for the past two terms are with the Congress led UDF.Likewise in Kottayam, it’s a do or die battle between once former close aides and belonged to the Kerala Congress (Mani).Today that party is deeply divided and the faction led by Jose K. Mani, son of late K.M.Mani has switched his allegiance and is now an ally of the Left and the other faction led by party veteran P.J.Joseph and his faction is with the Congress led UDF.”The traitors of Mani sir will be given a fitting reply by the electorate,” said Jose, while Joseph said he is supremely confident of his party doing extremely well and Jose’s faction will bite the dust.Considerable interest is coming up at Palakkad, where the BJP is expecting to do well , as they consider it as one of their strongholds.Left convenor and also the CPI-M state secretary A. Vijayaraghavan said there is no doubt of the outcome as they are going to come out with winning colours.Congress legislator Anil Akkara has approached the State Election Commission with a complaint against State Local Self Government Minister A.C.Moideen , who is understood to have cast his vote at 6.55 a.m.The official polling time is from 7 a.m to 6 p.m., with the last one hour kept for Covid positive patients and those in quarantine, who all will have to come in PPE kits.–IANSsg/in