Thrikkakara bypoll: early trends by the end of first round of counting

Congress and CPI(M) have lowered expectations of securing a higher lead margin

The early trends of the outcome of the Thrikkakara byelection will emerge in the first round of counting of votes cast in booth numbers 1 to 21 at Edappally and nearby areas.

The Congress camp hopes to seal the verdict in its favour, if Uma Thomas succeeds in getting a lead of around 1,000 votes at the end of the first round of counting. Polling was held in 239 booths in the constituency. The votes cast at Ponekkara and Devankulangara booths will also be counted in the first round. Counting of votes will begin at Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, by 8 a.m.

The picture on which way Thrikkakara will go is likely to be clear by around 9 a.m. Counting of votes will be held in 12 rounds. In the second round, the votes cast at Mamangalam, Palarivattom, Padivattom, Anchumana and Vennala booths will be counted. Votes cast at booths at Chalikavattom and the remaining booths at Palarivattom, Mamangalam, and Vennala will be held in the third round.

The trend in areas under the Thrikkakara Municipality will evolve in the eighth round of counting. Votes cast at booths at Cochin Public School and Bharata Mata College will be counted in the eighth round.

The Congress and the CPI(M) have lowered expectations of securing a higher lead margin. Dominic Presentation, former MLA and chief election agent of the Congress, said on Thursday that Uma Thomas would win by a margin in the range between 5,000 and 8,000 votes. Supporters of Twenty20 and V4Kochi seemed not to have cast their votes as they had not fielded a candidate in this election, he said.

The Left camp is hoping for an upset win while claiming a victory margin of around 4,000-5,000 votes. It is expecting a record vote share this time. The front had not been able to cross the 50,000 mark in the total number of votes won in the previous elections.