Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday cast his vote at a polling station in Thiruvananthapuram during the ongoing Assembly elections, urging citizens to take part in the democratic process.

After voting, Arlekar said he was “very happy” to have exercised his franchise and appealed to people across the state to come out in large numbers. Emphasising the importance of participation, he described voting as a “sacred duty” and highlighted the deep-rooted nature of democracy in the country.

Several prominent leaders also cast their votes as polling gathered momentum across Kerala. CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby voted in Thiruvananthapuram, while Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan cast his ballot in Kannur. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan voted in Ernakulam.

Among others, Kerala Congress president Sunny Joseph voted in Kannur, and MP Hibi Eden cast his vote in Kochi. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jebi Mather also participated in the polling process.

From the BJP, leaders Anil K Antony and V Muraleedharan cast their votes in Thiruvananthapuram. Actor-turned-politician Ramesh Pisharody voted in Palakkad, while senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan exercised his franchise in the state capital.

Polling is underway for 140 Assembly seats in Kerala, alongside elections in Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

According to the Election Commission of India, voter turnout in Kerala stood at 16.23 per cent at 9 am. More than 2.69 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 883 candidates across the state’s constituencies.

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The contest in Kerala is mainly between the ruling Left Democratic Front led by Pinarayi Vijayan, which is aiming for a third consecutive term, and the Congress-led United Democratic Front seeking a return to power.