Thiruvananthapuram, April 9 – At 6 p.m. on Thursday, the official conclusion of what is often called the ‘festival of democracy’ arrived as polling across Kerala came to a close.
However, in several booths, the spirit of democracy lingered a little longer, with voters patiently waiting to exercise their right to vote even after the deadline.
Overall, the state experienced a largely peaceful voting process.
According to the Chief Electoral Officer, at the official closing time, the turnout stood at 75.01 per cent of the 2.71 crore voters who had cast their votes.
Incidentally, in the 2021 Assembly elections, 75.75 per cent of voters had voted. Given the long queues seen in many booths after 6 p.m., it remains to be seen whether the final figure reaches 80 per cent. If it does, it would be the first time since 1987 that the 80 per cent mark is breached.
With voting now complete, the state is entering a phase of heightened anticipation.
All eyes are on May 4, when counting begins at 8 a.m. across centres, and the political fate of Kerala will begin to unfold.
The question that now grips the electorate and political players alike is simple yet decisive: who will hold the key to the State Secretariat for the next five years?
In the days leading up to the verdict, confidence and claims are running high across all three major political fronts.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and steered organisationally by party secretary M. V. Govindan, has exuded optimism.
Both leaders have asserted that the front will improve upon its current tally of 99 seats in the 140-member Assembly, a claim that, if realised, would mark a significant consolidation of power.
The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), however, has dismissed these projections outright.
Veteran Congress leader A. K. Antony, along with the party’s current leadership, including V. D. Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, State president Sunny Joseph, and his predecessor K. Sudhakaran, have projected a sweeping comeback.
Their collective assertion is bold; the UDF is poised to cross the 100-seat mark, signalling what they describe as a decisive mandate for change.
Adding a third dimension to the contest, the Bharatiya Janata Party has put forth a markedly different forecast.
State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has predicted a hung Assembly, a scenario that, if it unfolds, could dramatically alter Kerala’s traditionally bipolar political landscape.
His projection gains intrigue given the BJP’s limited electoral footprint in the State, having secured a solitary seat in 2016, which it failed to retain in 2021.
For now, these claims remain in the realm of political rhetoric, as Kerala enters a quiet yet tense interlude.
By noon on counting day, the numbers will replace narratives, and the verdict of 2.71 crore voters will stand revealed, clear, conclusive, and impossible to contest.
Until then, Kerala waits.
