Kerala Election 2023: Voter Turnout Unveiled Amid Allegations

Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer, Ratan U Kelkar, announced a provisional voter turnout of 79.63% in the April 9 Assembly elections. Allegations of delayed data release by CPI(M) and Congress were rejected. Final figures will be confirmed post-counting of service votes, with the official announcement expected within 48 hours.

In a recent press briefing, Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer, Ratan U Kelkar, stated that the voter turnout for the April 9 Assembly elections reached a provisional 79.63%. This figure, drawn from available voting data, may be adjusted once service votes are included.

Addressing criticisms from CPI(M) and the Congress about alleged delays in releasing polling data, Kelkar emphasized that no unnecessary holdups occurred. According to him, the data collection effort was comprehensive, involving the tally of 3.78 lakh postal ballots across 140 constituencies, usually requiring a minimum of three days.

Despite calls from political leaders for quicker data publication, Kelkar assured that all election procedures, including vote casting and counting, were executed transparently. The latest figures signal Kunnamangalam at the highest turnout of 84.83%, while Ranni exhibited the lowest at 68.99%.

(With inputs from agencies.)