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Malappuram district registered 71% polling on April 26 (Friday). Out of the 33.93 lakh electorate, 23.85 lakh exercised their franchise in the district comprising 16 Assembly segments spread across the Parliament constituencies of Malappuram, Ponnani, and Wayanad.
Polling started at 7 a.m. on a brisk note and continued beyond the 6 p.m. deadline. There were long queues of voters at several polling stations even when the voting time ended at 6 p.m. Those who reached the booths before 6 p.m. were allowed to vote.
At booth no. 147 at GLP School, Puthanangadi, near Angadipuram, around 250 voters were in queue at 6 p.m. Many of them showed frustration at the slow pace of the voting process. They blamed polling officials for the delay in voting.
“This is my first vote in life. I have been in this queue since 4 p.m. The long wait has been frustrating. The officials are so inconsiderate. They just don’t care,” said Febna (name changed on her request).
Polling officials were blamed for turning a blind eye even after election agents of various political parties raised the issue. Apparently frustrated, some women returned home without voting.
At 8 p.m., the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency registered 71.42% polling, while it was 67.67% in Ponnani, one of the lowest polling percentages in the State. The three Assembly segments in Wayanad constituency (Nilambur, Wandoor, and Eranad) registered 73% polling each.
While 66.39% male voters cast votes, 74.12% women voters turned out to exercise their franchise in Malappuram. Twenty out of 43 transgenders voted.
There were 2,798 polling booths spread across Malappuram, Ponnani and Wayanad constituencies in the district. While 1,215 were in Malappuram, 1,167 were in Ponnani, and 573 in Wayanad. As many as 80 polling stations were managed by women, and two booths each were manned by differently abled and young officials.
Young polling officials manned the polling stations in Punchakolli and Vaniyampuzha tribal hamlets in the Nilambur forest. A control room under District Collector V.R. Vinod monitored the polling. All polling booths had webcasting.
Polling officials returned the electronic voting machines to their respective centres at night. The sealed machines will be shifted to strong rooms at Government College, Malappuram; SSM Polytechnic College, Tirur; and Mar Thoma College, Chungathara. The votes of Malappuram will be counted at Government College, Malappuram, those of Ponnani at SSM Polytechnic College, and those of Wayanad at Mar Thoma College.
