Heavy polling in by-elections

Officials reported long queues in most balloting centres in the Firozabad parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh as well as the state’s 11 Assembly seats. The same was the case in West Bengal (10 Assembly seats), Kerala (3), Rajasthan, Assam and Himachal Pradesh (2 each) and Chhattisgarh (1).

In Kerala, brisk polling was witnessed in byelections held to the three Assembly constituencies of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Kannur on Saturday. 

In Kannur, voter turnout was as high as 80 per cent, a record in a byelection in Kerala. Here, CPM has fielded M V Jayarajan against Congress’ A P Abdullakutty, a two-time MP of the CPM who was expelled by the party in June this year. 

Similarly, polling was relatively higher at 64 per cent in Ernakulam, the highest recorded in the last ten years in the constituency.

Congress leader and former minister Dominic Presentation is pitted against CPM’s P N Seenulal.

In Alappuzha, over 76 per cent polling has taken place which is expected to go up to 80 per cent. District Congress Committee president A A Shukkoor takes on CPI’s G Krishnaprasad in the constituency.