Kerala: Second phase local body polls held, Mammootty misses voting

The second phase of the local body elections in Kerala held on Thursday is crucial for the Kerala Congress (M) group led by the Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani to show its strength.

Polling to 451 local bodies in Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad were held in the second-phase that witnessed over 75 per cent voters turning up.

The Jose K Mani faction recently joined the CPM-led Left Democratic Front ending years-long ties with the Congress-led United Democratic Front. The faction has to show its strength in its home town Kottayam in the local body elections. Then only they could stake claims for seats in the upcoming Assembly polls. There were reports that many in the grassroot levels of the party were unhappy over the decision to join the left-front.

For the BJP the second-phase polls are significant as Palakkad municipality is the lone municipality in Kerala where the saffron party is in power now. The BJP is also pinning hopes in Thrissur corporation.

Wayanad had presented a thumping victory to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Hence any set back in the district in the local body polls would be embarrassing to the Congress. In 2015 local body elections, Congress-led United Democratic Front got a majority in one of the three municipalities in the district and also won eleven seats in the district panchayat against five by the left-front.

The third and final phase of the local body polls will be held on December 14 and counting will be on December 16.

Mammootty too misses voting

The local body elections are witnessing curious moments with many prominent persons missing from voters' list.

Leading actor Mammootty, who used to cast vote in most of the general elections in Kochi, could not exercise his franchise on Thursday as his name was missing in the voters' list. He recently shifted residence and that could be the reason why his name was left out from the voters' list, said election authorities.

During the first phase polls many IAS officers, including chief electoral officer Teeka Ram Meena, could not cast vote as their names were left out in the revised voters lift.

There were widespread complaints of persons being left out from voters list.

Complaint against minister

The Congress will file a complaint against Kerala Local Self-Government Minister A C Moideen for allegedly casting his vote ahead of the polling time. Congress MLA from Thrissur Anil Akkara alleged that the minister was allowed to cast his vote at 6.55 am at a polling booth in the district even as the polling time began only by 7 am. A complaint will be filed against the minister in this regard, he said.