50.64 pc voting till afternoon in repolling in 7 booths in Ker

Around 50 per cent polling was recorded till late afternoon Sunday in the repolling being held in seven booths in two Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala where alleged bogus voting was reported in the April 23 polls.

The repolling has been ordered by the Election Commission in two booths each in Dharmadaom and Kalliassery, one each in Trikaripur, Pilathara and Taliparamba in Kannur and Kasargod constituencies where bogus votes were allegedly cast during the elections to 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Local television channels had aired CCTV visuals in which three women, later identified as activists of ruling CPI-M, were seen voting more than twice on April 23.

Later, three Congress-led UDF workers were also found to have cast bogus votes in Kasaragod constituency. The LDF had released digital evidence of the bogus voting by two men, suspected to be IUML workers, in a polling booth in Kasaragod.

According to EC officials, an average of 50.64 per cent votes were cast in the booths till late afternoon in the repolling.

The polling which started at 7 AM and will end at 6 PM.

Women poll officials have been deployed at the polling booths to verify women coming to vote wearing face veil.

Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena has Saturday said those who cover their face will have to reveal themselves before the concerned officer.

A controversy erupted in the state Saturday following CPI(M)s Kannur district secretary MV Jayarajan statement that women wearing the face veil should remove it during voting. Opposition Congress has condemned his remarks.