Record Voter Turnout in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry Elections
High Voter Participation Across Regions
People wait in queues before casting their votes at a polling station in Guwahati. (Photo:PTI)
Guwahati, Apr 10: A remarkable surge in voter turnout was observed during the elections held on Thursday across Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, with Puducherry achieving a historic milestone.
Puducherry recorded an unprecedented voter turnout of 89.87 percent, the highest since its integration with India in 1964. This Union Territory, situated approximately 165 km from Chennai, consists of 30 constituencies.
Assam followed closely with a turnout exceeding 85.91 percent, a notable increase from the 82.04 percent seen in the 2021 Assembly elections. Kerala also reported a commendable turnout of over 78.27 percent, up from 74.06 percent in the last elections.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the high turnout in Assam as “historic,” noting that the election's impact was already evident in the “hope, pride, and happiness” reflected in the people's expressions.
Conversely, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi suggested that the robust voter turnout indicated a desire for a “new and greater Assam” under new leadership.
“The Election Commission of India must ensure the security of EVMs and accurately conduct the vote counting,” Gogoi emphasized.
Both Sarma and Gogoi are among the 722 candidates vying for seats in 126 constituencies in Assam, where the electorate is approximately 2.5 crore.
In Kerala, the electoral battle is traditionally fierce between the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), with 883 candidates contesting across 140 constituencies.
CPI(M) leader C.N. Mohanan expressed confidence that the increased turnout would favor the LDF, attributing it to the party's voter mobilization efforts. Meanwhile, BJP Ernakulam district president K.S. Shaiju credited the rise to greater participation from women voters, suggesting it would benefit the BJP.
Congress leader Deepthi Mary Varghese stated that the reasons behind the higher turnout would need thorough analysis.
“Typically, an increase in polling percentage tends to favor the UDF, but this requires closer scrutiny,” she remarked.
Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U. Kelkar expressed hope that the turnout might reach 90 percent, based on the voting trends observed throughout the day.