Turnout crosses 80 pc in Kerala assembly by-poll

According to preliminary estimates, the polling could exceed 80 per cent as long queues were seen in many polling stations even after 5 in the evening.

Data put out by the State Electoral Officer said the 73 per cent of 1,64,856 voters exercised their franchise by 4 pm.

The bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of the assembly membership by R Selvaraj who won the seat in last year's assembly polls on a CPI(M) ticket. Selvaraj is back in fray as the UDF candidate after joining Congress. CPI-M has fielded F Lawrence and BJP has put up its senior leader and former Union minister O Rajagopal.

The outcome of the bypoll is seen crucial for CPI-M at a time when the party is on the defensive with some of its activists arrested in connection with the murder of Marxist rebel and RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan.

LDF had lost the recent bypoll at Piravom where UDF candidate Anoop Jacob won by a huge majority and restored UDF's tally to 72 in the 140-member assembly.

While CPI-M used the "traitor" tag against Selvaraj and the rising prices during its campaign, UDF highlighted CPI(M)'s suspect role in political violence in the state as well as the achievements of the Oommen Chandy government since it came to power a year ago.