Amid scorching temperatures, a surge of voters emerged during the final hours of polling in Kerala. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier issued a heatwave warning for Palakkad district.
Technical glitches caused delays in voting queues in certain constituencies, with some voters attributing the hold-up to the inexperience of polling staff in certain booths.
In Vadakara constituency, voting extended until 10 pm in some booths, while delays were reported in booths across Vadakara, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, and Alathur.
Also Read: Phase 2 Witnessed Peacefully: Election Commission Of India On Phase 2
By 8:15 pm, the Election Commission reported a voter turnout of 70.35 percent, with 1,95,22259 out of 2,77,49,159 registered voters casting their ballots.
The second phase of the Lok Sabha elections covered 88 constituencies, including Kerala’s entire 20 seats, along with seats in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Tripura, Manipur, and Jammu and Kashmir.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured victory in 19 out of 20 seats in Kerala. Among its allies, the Indian Union Muslim League won two seats, the Revolutionary Socialist Party won one, and the Kerala Congress (M) secured one seat. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) managed to secure only one seat.
The first phase of the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections took place on April 19 across 102 constituencies in 21 states and union territories, recording a turnout of over 62 percent. The third phase is scheduled for May 7.
