Kerala - Kochi

Fluctuating pattern

Staff Reporter

Rural voter were more enthusiastic in casting their votes

KOCHI: The district recorded a fluctuating voting pattern. However, the rural voters were less reluctant to exercise their franchise than their urban counterparts. Ernakulam, Aluva and Mattancherry constituencies had generally low-voter turnout. The degree of reluctance among the city voters seemed rather high in the Ernakulam Assembly seat with 7 per cent of the electorate exercising their franchise by 9 a.m.

The figure remained low throughout the day, well behind the average figure. When the average was 24.1 at 11 a.m., Ernakulam had only 17 per cent. At 4 p.m., the city's voting percentage was 53.8, higher only than Mattancherry, which had 52.9 percent. Aluva too recorded only 54.1 per cent in the evening.

The rural voters generally seemed more enthusiastic to cast their votes. Angamaly, which started out with a low figure of 7 per cent, and Paravur, which had 10 in the beginning, recorded the highest at 4 p.m., with 65 per cent each.

Perumbavoor maintained a higher voter turnout right from the beginning. Recording 18 per cent at 9 a.m., the polling in Perumbavoor remained higher than the district average almost all the time. At 4 p.m., the figure was 63.

Kunnathunadu constituency also maintained a high figure right from the beginning, starting out with 18 in the morning. Keeping almost up with Perumbavoor, Kunnathunadu also had 63 per cent voting at 4 p.m.
(The Hindu, April 30, 2006)