Kozhikode, Dec 11 (UNI) The second phase of polling for the Kerala local body election began on Thursday at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm.
A heavy turnout was reported in the early hours, with long queues, particularly of women voters, seen across polling booths in the morning of North Kerala.
The voting is being held across 604 local bodies in seven districts including Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.
A total of 1,53,37176 voters are on the electoral rolls , comprising 72,46269 men, 80,90746 women, 161 transgenders and 3293 overseas voters, will cast their votes in respective polling booths. As many as 38994 candidates are contesting in 12391 wards of 604 bodies including in grama panchayats, Block and DIstrict panchayat, Municipality and three Municipal corporations at Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur.Heavy security has been arranged in vulnerable booths and a large number of police force was deployed to maintain law and order.
Prominent political leaders including KPCC president Sunny Joseph, IUML State president Panakkad Sadhikali Shihab Thangal, its general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, M K Muneer,MLA,, BJP former state president K Surendran, cast their votes around 0730 hrs at their respective booths in Kannur, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts.
Reports said, around 2 percent votes were polled in the first hours of the elections and few EVM complaints were reported across in seven districts and technical experts were attending to rectify the errors. The first phase of polling in the remaining seven districts was held on December 9 and the counting of both phases scheduled on December 13.
