A tribal couple elevating their ink-smeared index fingers after voting on the Nedumkayam polling station close to Karulai in Nilambur.
| Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN
Malappuram district registered 71% polling on April 26 (Friday). Out of the 33.93 lakh voters, 23.85 lakh exercised their franchise in the district comprising 16 Assembly segments unfold throughout the Parliament constituencies of Malappuram, Ponnani, and Wayanad.
Polling began at 7 a.m. on a brisk notice and continued past the 6 p.m. deadline. There have been lengthy queues of voters at a number of polling stations even when the voting time ended at 6 p.m. Those who reached the cubicles earlier than 6 p.m. have been allowed to vote.
At sales space no. 147 at GLP School, Puthanangadi, close to Angadipuram, round 250 voters have been in queue at 6 p.m. Many of them confirmed frustration on the gradual tempo of the voting course of. They blamed polling officers for the delay in voting.
“This is my first vote in life. I have been in this queue since 4 p.m. The long wait has been frustrating. The officials are so inconsiderate. They just don’t care,” stated Febna (identify modified on her request).
Polling officers have been blamed for turning a blind eye even after election brokers of varied political events raised the difficulty. Apparently annoyed, some girls returned house with out voting.
At eight p.m., the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency registered 71.42% polling, whereas it was 67.67% in Ponnani, one of many lowest polling percentages in the State. The three Assembly segments in Wayanad constituency (Nilambur, Wandoor, and Eranad) registered 73% polling every.
While 66.39% male voters solid votes, 74.12% girls voters turned out to train their franchise in Malappuram. Twenty out of 43 transgenders voted.
There have been 2,798 polling cubicles unfold throughout Malappuram, Ponnani and Wayanad constituencies in the district. While 1,215 have been in Malappuram, 1,167 have been in Ponnani, and 573 in Wayanad. As many as 80 polling stations have been managed by girls, and two cubicles every have been manned by otherwise abled and younger officers.
Young polling officers manned the polling stations in Punchakolli and Vaniyampuzha tribal hamlets in the Nilambur forest. A management room underneath District Collector V.R. Vinod monitored the polling. All polling cubicles had webcasting.
Polling officers returned the digital voting machines to their respective centres at evening. The sealed machines can be shifted to robust rooms at Government College, Malappuram; SSM Polytechnic College, Tirur; and Mar Thoma College, Chungathara. The votes of Malappuram can be counted at Government College, Malappuram, these of Ponnani at SSM Polytechnic College, and people of Wayanad at Mar Thoma College.