With more than 2.75 crore voters in Kerala, 194 candidates are vying for votes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following a nearly month-long intense campaign by the CPI-led LDF, the Congress-led UDF, and the BJP-led NDA, a total of 194 candidates for 20 Lok Sabha seats are vying for the support of the electorate on Friday. Polling in Kerala, where there are more than 2.75 crore voters, will start at 7 a.m. on Friday, according to the Election Commission.

63,100 ink bottles are utilized, according to Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul, to guarantee error-free and transparent elections.

More over five lakh of the state’s 2,77,49,159 voters are first-time voters this time around.

With fourteen candidates, the Kottayam seat has the most, while Alathur has the fewest, with five. Other noteworthy individuals include the twelve candidates in Kannur and Kollam and the thirteen in Kozhikode.
There are 194 applicants in all, including 169 males and 25 females.

With four female candidates, the Vadakara seat stands out as having the most numbers.

According to the Election Commission, 66,303 security guards have been sent out to guarantee a secure and orderly voting process.

Tight security is being provided by the Kerala Police and Central Troops for the voting process at 25,231 booths spread over 13,272 locations.

Statewide police deployment has taken place in accordance with the Central Election Commission’s directives.
More than five lakh first-time voters will visit the polls on Friday, when the state’s twenty seats open for voting at seven in the morning.

Kerala had a quiet campaign ahead of the state votes on Thursday as the over-month-long, intense public campaigning for the elections scheduled for April 26 came to an end on Wednesday night with the closing of the polls.

Among the overall number of candidates trying their luck in politics this time are two union ministers, one state minister, three actors, and a few MLAs. The NDA, headed by the BJP, has five female candidates in total.
The campaign in Kerala has been very vigorous and combative, in contrast to the previous general elections.

The high-volume public campaigns revolved around a variety of issues, including the implementation of the CAA, the purported existence of “love jihad,” the controversy surrounding the film “The Kerala Story,” the Manipur violence, Rahul Gandhi’s candidature in Wayanad, and the alleged appeasement of minorities by various political parties.

The UDF secured 19 out of 20 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, while the LDF was only able to get one seat.