58.14% voter turnout recorded in byelections in Ernakulam

Voter turnout for the by-elections to four local body wards in Ernakulam district on Monday (September 28) remained moderate at 58.14%.

Of the 10,003 voters in the four segments, including a Corporation ward, only 5,816 cast their votes in the interim polls necessitated by various reasons. While the three grama panchayat wards witnessed brisk polling, the Ayyappankavu division of Kochi Corporation recorded only 46.91% voter turnout, pushing the overall figures down.

In Ayyappankavu, where the bypoll was necessitated following the election of Congress’ Deepak Joy as Thripunithura MLA, 3,009 of the total 6,415 voters exercised their franchise. The United Democratic Front (UDF) has fielded A.K. Ajithkumar to retain the seat, while P.K. Usman and K.V. Bijoy are the candidates of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).