Over 1.7 lakh vote in Nilambur byelection

Over 1.7 lakh voters participate in fiercely contested Nilambur byelection with high voter turnout and peaceful voting process.

More than 1.7 lakh voters reached polling booths to choose their Assembly representative in a byelection held in Nilambur on Thursday. At the close of the polling at 6 p.m., there were long queues of voters at several booths waiting for their turn to exercise their franchise.

The fiercely contested byelection, which saw a quadrangular fight involving Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate M. Swaraj, United Democratic Front (UDF)‘s Aryadan Shoukath, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)‘s Mohan George and Independent candidate P.V. Anvar, ended peacefully.

According to the Election Commission, 70.76% of the 2.32 lakh voters had exercised their franchise by 5 p.m. The final figures of voter turnout are likely to cross 75%. The polling percentage of the 2021 Assembly election in Nilambur was 75.20.

Polling began on a brisk note at 7 a.m. in 263 polling stations across Nilambur. Three polling booths were inside the forest: at Vaniyampuzha, Punchakolli and Nedumkayam, where tribespeople living in Nilambur forests voted.

While the first two hours registered 13.15% polling, it rose to 30.15% by 11 a.m., 46.73% by 1 p.m., 59.68% by 3 p.m., and 70.76% by 5 p.m.

Polling was delayed at some booths due to faulty electronic voting machines (EVMs). However, election officials addressed the issue by replacing the EVMs.

As many as 1,200 security personnel were deployed for the byelection. Enhanced security was provided for 14 critical booths, including the three stations in tribal areas.