Kannur, Dec 11 (IANS) Kerala on Thursday entered the decisive stage of its local body elections with the second phase of polling progressing across seven northern districts.

Till 9.00 a.m., 16 per cent of votes were polled according to the State Election Commission.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who cast his vote along with his family in Kattilapeedika under Pinarayi panchayat, expressed confidence that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was heading towards a “historic victory”.

He said the Left Front was witnessing strong public support and asserted that controversies such as the Sabarimala gold smuggling case would have “no impact whatsoever” on voter sentiment.

“Believers themselves understood that strict action in such cases was taken only because of the present administration,” he added.

Polling began at 7 a.m. in Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod, and will conclude at 6 p.m.

With southern Kerala having voted in the first phase, Thursday’s polling marks the completion of local body elections across all 14 districts in the state.

The day was, however, marked by scattered incidents and brief technical setbacks. At Pattissery ward in Nellaya, Palakkad, polling was halted for half an hour after a malfunctioning voting machine in Booth No. 1 had to be replaced. A similar interruption occurred at Manisseri West’s Ward 6 in Vaniyamkulam, where voting was stalled for 15 minutes before officials installed a replacement machine.

Eight people were injured in a bee attack at the Valakkavu LP School polling station in Thrissur. The attack occurred as voters were waiting to leave after casting their ballots. All injured persons were admitted to a private hospital in Nadathara.

Meanwhile, political fronts exchanged sharp remarks as polling progressed. Former state Congress president and veteran leader Mullappally Ramachandran said the UDF was headed for a “clear victory”, adding that the people had assessed the state government and were registering a negative mandate against it.

On the other hand, BJP veteran and former Goa governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai predicted that the party would “double its current seats”, claiming renewed confidence in this election. He alleged that both the LDF and UDF join hands wherever the BJP gains strength.

Former State BJP president K. Surendran said the NDA would make a strong leap forward, declaring the election a “setback for the Sabarimala gold smugglers”. He accused the UDF of links with Jamaat-e-Islami and the LDF of associations with the Popular Front — claims he said voters would recognise.

With polling concluding across Kerala by evening, attention now turns to the December 13 counting day and the political messages the final verdict will carry.

–IANS

sg/dpb