Lakshadweep goes to poll Thursday

Polling for the Lok Sabha in India's smallest union territory Lakshadweep, a group of 36 islands and total electorate less than 50,000, will be held Thursday.

There are a total of 49,821 electors, evenly divided between male and female voters. Three islands - Androth (9,012), Minicoy (8,139) and Kavaratti (8,080) - have the highest number of voters.

Forty-three polling booths have been set up.

The Congress has dominated Lakshadweep ever since its first Lok Sabha elections in 1967, except for the 2004 polls when the Janata Dal (United) won.

Sitting Congress MP Hamdullah Sayeed, 31, is the youngest member of the 15th Lok Sabha.

It is for the first time that Communist Party of India is fielding a candidate - Najmudheen C.T. - from this Scheduled Tribes reserved constituency.

The remaining five candidates in the fray are: Abdul Muneer of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, Mohammed Faizal P.P. of the National Congress Party, M.P. Sayed Mohammed Koya of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Hamdullah Sayeed of the Congress, and Samajwadi Party's Komalam Koya.