Moderate turnout in Kerala civic polls

By Ashraf Padanna

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over 60% of voters exercised their franchise in eight southern districts of Kerala where the first phase of local bodies elections were held yesterday, according to initial estimates.

State Election Commissioner N Mohandas said Ernakulam district recorded 65% turnout followed by Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Alappuzha (64%), Pathanamthitta (63%), Idukki (%), Thrissur (60%) and Kottayam 59%.

He said polling was peaceful except for some minor incidents of violence.

Polling in Thuravoor ward of Alappuzha was postponed after irregularities were found in the voters’ list. Re-polling will be held there along with the remaining six districts tomorrow.

One person was arrested for impersonation and five officials on poll duty were suspended for irregularities.

Meanwhile, campaigning in the northern districts ended yesterday. Police have been given orders to open fire in the event of trouble at polling stations in the district. Officials attending poll duty there have been provided with insurance cover.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy cast his vote in his hometown of Puthuppally along with his family members early in the morning and left for Kozhikode for campaigning there. He refused to predict the outcome saying the elections were fought on local development issues.

Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan, who cast his vote in Alappuzha, said people would give a fitting reply to the ‘unholy’ alliance the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) has forged with ‘communal forces’.

Congress Party’s state unit president Ramesh Chennithala said the UDF would improve its tally and attributed the low turnout at many places to bogus names on the electoral rolls.

The eagerly fought elections, being held after former chief minister K Karunakaran broke away from the Congress Party to join opposition ranks, is considered a litmus test for the assembly elections due in May. The opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF), which had reached local-level adjustments with the Democratic Indira Congress-Karunakaran, has said it would take a decision on accommodating the DIC-K only after the elections.

The alliance has also angered minor partners of the LDF forcing them to field their own candidates against the DIC-K supported by the Communist Party of India-Marxist in several places.

A total of 40,081 candidates were in the fray in the first phase. Counting of votes would take place on September 27 and the newly elected bodies would be sworn in on October 2.

l Andhra Pradesh witnessed peaceful municipal elections yesterday with a good turnout in most towns and cities.

Voter turnout was 60% in a majority of the 7,413 polling booths in 11 cities and 96 towns.

The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) alleged large-scale manipulation by the ruling Congress Party in several districts.

In the multi-cornered contests, 15,864 candidates were in the fray in 2,936 wards in municipalities (towns) and 564 divisions of municipal corporations (cities). About 7.6mn voters, half of them women, were eligible to vote.

For the first time, electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used for municipal elections in the state.

Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam were among three cities where elections were not being held.

This is the first electoral battle in the state after Congress came to power in May last year. 

The TDP, trying to salvage some pride, was fighting alone as it had severed ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the Telangana region, the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) contested the elections on its own as it has pulled out of an alliance with the Congress. 

However, the alliance between the Congress and the CPI and CPM is intact in a majority of the constituencies.

In the last municipal elections in 2000, the TDP-BJP alliance had bagged 63 municipalities and three municipal corporations while Congress had won 35 municipalities and two corporations. 

Though some towns in the coastal region were affected by floods, the State Election Commission went head with the polls. Only in Vijayawada, which was the worst hit by the floods, have the elections been postponed.

More than 62,000 policemen were deployed as part of security arrangements for the elections. – Indo-Asian News Service

Outcome to decide fate of Karunakaran’s party

By K K Ramesh Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The outcome of the local bodies polls in Kerala will be crucial for the Democratic Indira Congress (DIC) floated by K Karunakaran.

If Karunakaran’s party, which has entered into local level seat adjustments with the opposition Left Democratic Front, fails to get a considerable number of seats, it would be difficult for the newborn party to make any impact on Kerala’s political situation.

According to the LDF sources, the DIC-K has been allotted around 2,500 seats altogether in various districts. The total number of seats in the three-tier panchayats (local councils) and municipalities is 20,555. The DIC-K has been given almost as many seats as allotted to the Communist Part of India (CPI), a constituent of the LDF.

The DIC-K has not been admitted into the LDF. However, the LDF has local level seat adjustments in all the 14 districts with the DIC-K. If the tie-up clicks, the LDF would have a thumping majority in most of the districts. The DIC-K is very keen to have a berth in the LDF led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The party hopes to have an alliance with the LDF in the next assembly elections too and if the LDF is voted to power, it expects to be included in the government.

However, the CPM and the other constituents in the LDF are unwilling to take the DIC on board.

‘Ambitious’ Keralites have a weak heart

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On the eve of World Heart Day today, a cardiology exhibition here has handed out a warning to Keralites – they have a weak heart.

“The average age in the country for a person likely to have a heart attack is 55. But in Kerala, studies have shown that the average age is 45,” said Deepak Dennison, a cardiologist examining patients at the exhibition that started here yesterday.

According to Dennison, the major reason for this is Keralites in general are considered highly ambitious. 

“Because of this, people here are tense. Another reason, which has been discussed several times in the past, is the use of excessive coconut in the daily menu. Another factor is the genetic makeup of Keralites.” 

The two-day exhibition is being organised by a private hospital.

“This is a very good exhibition because, even though we Keralites are literate, when it comes to check-ups, we are not that forthcoming. A chance check-up, away from the usual hospital premises, is another advantage at the exhibition,” said a middle-aged patient visiting the exhibition for a test.

Besides medical examination, people are also taking interest in various equipment like pacemakers, stents, implantable cardio verter defibrillators and state-of-the-art intensive care units.

“We have stents costing Rs20,000 upwards and we are surprised that people coming to the exhibition are quite curious to know the details,” said Abdul Kalam, a technician. – Indo-Asian News Service

Naval drive cleans up part of Kochi coast

KOCHI: In a four-hour cleaning drive led by the Southern Naval Command, about 3,500 people collected 3,500 bags of waste from the Fort Kochi beach, Marine Drive and Thevara waterfront here yesterday.

The campaign was part of the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day observed the world over on September 17.

But the annual activity was rescheduled to yesterday along India’s west coast.

The drive aimed to bring about public awareness on the deteriorating marine environment and encourage conscious steps to prevent environmental pollution.

At the Fort Kochi beach, schoolchildren, senior citizens, Coast Guard officials and even foreigners lent a helping hand to the naval personnel of INS Dronacharya. 

Personnel of INS Venduruthy along with students from the Naval Public School undertook the Wellington Island and Thevara waterfront clearing operations. 

At the Marine drive, besides navy personnel from INS Garuda, college students from St Teresa’s, Sacred Heart and Maharaja colleges, NCC cadets and NSS volunteers participated in this activity. 

The collected garbage was cleared with assistance from the Kochi Corporation.  As part of the drive, participants filled up data cards, indicating the type and amount of debris collected, the number of volunteers involved and the coastal area covered for analysis by the Ocean Conservancy Forum. 

Coco Cola provided the volunteers with gloves, bags and potable water. – IANS