Thiruvananthapuram: The voting in Kerala is underway to elect the fifteenth state Assembly which also witnessed heavy polling in the initial hours on Tuesday.
Long queues were witnessed at the booths in all the 140 constituencies right from 7 am when the polling started across the state.
Many prominent candidates from all parties have already voted in their respective constituencies by now and all of them reached the booths along with their families to vote.
After casting their votes, they expressed full confidence in their victory while talking to the media persons.
Besides stating that they will win for sure, the leaders did not miss the opportunity to lash out at their opponents.
Chief Minister and CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan stated that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) will have a historical win and will be elected for the consecutive term.
He also said that he is not sure whether the Opposition has taken out all the ‘bombs’ yet. He said BJP’s Nemom account will get closed this time as the people are with the LDF Government, the CM added.
Vijayan reached the booth at Dharmadom along with his family around 8.15 am and cast his vote.
Meanwhile, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said it would be an epic victory for the United Democratic Front (UDF).
He said the people of Kerala wish for a change in governance. This election will be seen as the verdict against the LDF government which has devastated Kerala over the past five years, he said.
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Chennithala added that the people of Kerala have taken up the allegations raised by the Opposition against the LDF government.
Even the floods were proven to be ‘man-made’. Even those who were badly affected by the floods did not get any aid from the government, he said.
"The people would give a verdict against the "bad governance" which carried out corruption and plundered the state. This is a government that hurts the feelings of Ayyappa devotees. The Pinarayi Government has God’s wrath, Ayyappa’s wrath and that of the people," he said.
Pinarayi Vijayan, who is an atheist, is now at the feet of Lord Ayyappa, Chennithala added.
The NDA candidate E Sreedharan cast his vote at Ponnani though he is contesting from the Palakkad seat. He said the BJP would make tremendous progress and that he will win at Palakkad with a whopping majority.
E Sreedharan, who reached Ponnani with his wife, cast his vote and returned to Palakkad quickly.
LDF Minister Kadakampally Surendran said that the second consecutive term is sure for the party.
Speaking to the media after casting his vote, Surendran, who stated that the political atmosphere has become favourable for the LDF, said the party would win in all the 14 constituencies in Thiruvananthapuram.
He added that the LDF candidate at Nemom would win with a high majority.
The UDF candidate in Koduvally, M K Muneer, voted at his booth in St Michael's School in Kozhikode.
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Stating that the UDF will win 88 to 100 seats, Muneerr said a UDF wave is being witnessed across Kerala.
Within the CPM, it is the Captain and his sepoys to decide things. The UDF will win 7 constituencies in the Kozhikode district, he said.
The BJP state president and candidate at Konni and Manjeshwaram, K Sudhakaran said the people would vote for the third alternative in Kerala.
The NDA’s tremendous progress in Kerala would be witnessed in this election, said Surendran.
On the day of counting, both the LDF and the UDF will face severe setbacks as their vote shares would dip, he added.
Kummanam Rajasherkharan, the BJP leader and candidate at the Nemom constituency, which is the only sitting seat of the BJP in the Kerala Assembly, said, the NDA would get a favourable verdict after encountering all the challenges.
He alleged that there is a "secret agreement" between the LDF and the UDF in the State.
The years-long tacit deals that have been continuing between the LDF and the UDF will be brought to light in this election.
This election would be a verdict against such discreet deals, Kummanam said.
P.K. Kunjalikkutty, the UDF candidate at the Malappuram Vengara constituency, also voted in the morning.
Kunjalikkutty said there is a UDF wave across the State while talking to the media after voting.
K.K. Rema is 100 per cent confident of winning Vadakara.
Responding to the media after casting her vote, Rema said she has got strong support from the UDF.
"All sections of people have been offering great support and encouragement. I am confident of winning from Vadakara," he said.
Notably, the development of Vadakara was the major poll promise presented by Rema.
She said, the message to end "murder politics" has resonated well and reached the people in the constituency.
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