85 pc polling in Kerala repoll

Re-polling in seven booths in two Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala Sunday saw a voter turnout of 85 per cent.

The seven booths in Kannur and Kasargod constituencies in north Kerala went for re-poll following allegations of bogus voting during the single phase elections to 20 Lok Sabha segments in the state on April 23.

"As per the initial assessment, 85 per cent votes have been polled," a poll official told PTI after polling ended at 6 PM.

Police said there were no reports of any major untoward incident in the areas where the repoll was held.

In Kasargod, CPI(M) lodged a complaint with the District Electoral Officer alleging that UDF candidate Raj Mohan Unnithan approached the voters near the polling booth.

The UDF filed a complaint against P K Sreemathy Teacher, the LDF candidate in the Kannur constituency, alleging she tried to canvas the voters near the polling booth.

The re-polling 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.

Women poll officials were deployed at the polling booths during the repoll to verify women coming to vote wearing face veil.

Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena had Satyurday 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 M V Jayarajan statement that women wearing the face veil should remove it during voting.

Opposition Congress has condemned his remarks.