Puthuppally assembly bypoll result to be declared on Friday

Kottayam: Kerala is anxiously waiting for the result of the Puthuppally bypoll which saw an intense battle between the UDF and LDF to fill the seat left vacant by the demise of Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy.

The result will be declared on Friday.

The constituency, located in the southern Kottayam district, witnessed a war of words for the past few weeks as the September 5 by-election was a prestigious battle for both the ruling and opposition fronts in the state.

UDF's Chandy Oommen, LDF candidate Jaick C Thomas and BJP's G Lijin Lal have exuded confidence about winning the election, citing various factors.

According to Election Commission sources, the counting of votes would begin by 8.00 am at the special counting station in the Baselius College here.

Postal and service ballots would be counted first, they said.

The total number of booths in Puthuppally was 182, and the counting of votes in the electronic voting machines would be conducted in 13 rounds.

Senior citizens, aged above 80 years, and differently-abled people were given a chance to express their franchise from their own homes, and as many as 2,481 people used the facility during the September 5 bypoll, EC sources said.

Such votes would be counted in five separate tables, they said.

As many as 74 counting officials would be on duty on the counting day, while 32 CAPF personnel and a 12-member armed battalion were deployed for security at the counting station, the officials added.

The number of voters who turned up to exercise their franchise during the by-election for the Puthuppally Assembly seat was slightly lower than the around 74 per cent turnout seen in 2021 state assembly polls.

On Tuesday, after polling concluded, 72.86 per cent of the total registered 1,76,412 voters had cast their vote, according to the Chief Electoral Officer.

The assembly seat fell vacant after the death of Chandy, who represented the constituency in Kottayam district for more than five decades without any break until his demise on July 18.

In the present composition of the 2021 Kerala Assembly with a total of 140 seats, the ruling LDF has 99, the UDF has 40 with one seat vacant- Puthuppally.