Voting begins in key Kerala local body elections, polling close to 15 pc after 2 hours
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Voters in seven districts of Kerala began casting ballots on Tuesday in the first phase of crucial local elections, viewed by many as a key indicator ahead of next year's state legislative assembly contest.
Voting began at 7 am for the local bodies in seven districts--Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam and by 9.30 am, the polling percentage crossed 14.5 per cent, according to the State Election Commission (SEC).
Voters of all ages and professions, including actors like Asif Ali and Renji Panicker, were seen standing in queues since early morning to exercise their franchise.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan, UDF convener Adoor Prakash and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala expressed confidence of a "historic win" for the UDF, claiming there was an "anti-incumbency" feeling among the people and the Sabarimala gold issue has been a setback for the ruling LDF in the state.
ALSO READ: Centre not cooperating with Karnataka to solve farmers' woes: Shivakumar
Satheesan also said that the sexual assault allegations against expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil will not affect the party in the polls as it took exemplary action against him.
He claimed that the Mamkootathil issue has also become a setback for the Left government as it has allegedly failed to arrest the MLA till now.
The ruling LDF too expressed confidence of scripting a huge victory, with CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby claiming that the efficient probe by the court-appointed SIT into the Sabarimala gold issue will act in favour of the Left front in the polls.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by CPI(M), is banking on its record of development schemes and welfare pensions to secure support.
The BJP, which is striving to make deeper inroads into the state, is campaigning strongly on a platform that includes sensitive religious issues like the management of the Sabarimala temple.
Electorates in the remaining districts--Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kannur, Wayanad and Kasaragod-- will vote on December 11.
According to the Election Commission, 1,32,83,789 voters are eligible to decide the outcome of 75,632 candidates contesting in 23,576 wards across the state in the two phases.
Results for all 1,199 local bodies are scheduled to be announced on December 13.
The election is being closely watched as a semi-final for the main political battle in the southern state.
As voters cast their ballots in the first seven districts, political campaigning in the remaining seven districts was set to end on Tuesday evening.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Stalin accuses Centre of trying to use women's quota as 'weapon,' slams EPS over delimitation
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised the Centre over the women's reservation and accused it of trying to use it as a "weapon" to tackle the opposition before taking up the delimitation exercise based on population.
"The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population," he told PTI in an interview.
"Hence, the women's reservation must be implemented immediately without showing delimitation as a reason," the DMK president added.
Expressing apprehensions on the proposed delimitation exercise, the CM said it was the DMK that raised the first voice asserting the rights of the state after realising that Tamil Nadu would be affected by the proposed exercise. He also attacked his rival and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami over the delimitation issue.
Recalling efforts made by the DMK to raise the issue of population-based delimitation, he said an all-party meeting and a meeting of CMs under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee seeking fair delimitation were convened. It sought to freeze delimitation for 25 years and stick to it based on the 1971 Census population.
"We urged the union government that states which successfully implemented population control programmes must not be punished," he added.
The party came up with "Tamil Nadu poradum, Tamil Nadu vellum" (Tamil Nadu will struggle, Tamil Nadu will win) and this is DMK's stand, he said.
"However, Palaniswami, who is seeking votes for the entry of the BJP through the backdoor, has till date been mute over delimitation, and this is a betrayal of the people of Tamil Nadu."
