Polling across Kerala proceeded largely peacefully, but protests were reported at several booths on Thursday over allegations of fake voting.
A minor scuffle broke out between Congress and BJP activists at Manalur in Thrissur district after United Democratic Front candidate TN Prathapan arrived in the district.
According to police, BJP activists prevented people who were accompanying Prathapan from entering the booth premises, leading to the scuffle.
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In Wadakancherry, also in Thrissur district, voter Sajeev was unable to cast his vote after election officials informed him that his vote had already been registered as a postal ballot.
This sparked protests by BJP activists, prompting police intervention.
Although election officials offered to let him cast his vote, he refused.
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BJP candidate TS Ullas Babu later reached the dais and staged a protest.
A similar incident occurred in Kuttiyadi, Kozhikode district, where a woman was denied the right to vote after it emerged that her vote had already been cast as a postal ballot.
In Malampuzha and Shoranur in Palakkad district, Thrikaripur in Kasaragod and Vattiyurkavu in Thiruvananthapuram, complaints emerged that votes were cast in the names of indigenous voters, leading to protests.
Affected voters were later allowed to cast ballots.
If a voter arrives at the polling station and finds that someone has already voted in their name, they can inform the presiding officer. After satisfactorily proving his identity with valid documents, the voter is allowed to cast his vote instead of using a voting machine.
In Kalpetta, Wayanad, a polling agent was removed after it emerged that she was simultaneously working as an ASHA worker.
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In a separate incident in Udoma, Kasaragod, a Congress agent was caught using ‘smart glasses’ inside the polling station.
At a polling station in Badagi, Manjeshwar, Kasaragod, a malfunction was observed in the voting machine which recorded more votes than were actually polled.
Polling in all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala began at 7 am.
The crucial elections will decide whether the ruling LDF will secure a third consecutive term, whether the United Democratic Front will make a comeback, or whether the BJP will pull off an upset in a bipolar contest.
This story has been published from a news agency feed without modifications to the text.
