The first phase of elections to the Kerala assembly ended peacefully on Saturday with an estimated 65 per cent of voters exercising their franchise in 59 segments, covering six southern districts of the state.
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Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, nine of his cabinet colleagues and some top Left Democratic Front leaders are the prominent candidates whose fate will be decided in the first phase.
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Polling began on a dull note in the morning but gained some momentum by noon in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts that went to the polls.
According to initial estimates, about 65 per cent of the voters in the six districts have casted their votes, official sources said.
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The voter turnout was not very impressive in urban areas but some segments like Puthupally, where Chandy is contesting, witnessed brisk turn out of about 70 per cent. Barring minor disputes between rival sides in some booths, no incidents were reported from anywhere, police said.
Though a total of 409 candidates were in the fray, the main fight is between the United Democratic Front-Democratic Indira Congress (Karunaaran) alliance and the Communist Party of India-Marxist led LDF. Bharatiya Janata Party had also put up its candidates in majority of seats in the region.
Some 25,000 police personnel and 25 companies from the neighbouring states were deployed to ensure polling went off peacefully. Digital cameras were installed in sensitive booths.
The second phase of polling covering Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad,Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad will be held on April 29 while Kannur and Kasargode districts will go to polls in the final phase on May 3.
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