Chandy said after casting his vote that he was confident the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) would retain its majority in the assembly.
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The India TV-C Voter exit poll predicted 74-82 seats to the LDF, which is led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM).
This was the longest-ever campaigning period the political parties in Kerala have ever got in the history of elections.
Besides AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa and 91-year-old wheelchair-bound Karunanidhi, the poll arena in Tamil Nadu also has two other chief ministerial candidates – actor-turned politician Vijayakant of DMDK-PWF-TMC combine and PMK’s Anbumani Ramadoss. The BJP, which has not won seat in the assembly or Lok Sabha since it entered the poll fray in 1982, can not fancy to gain a foothold in the southern state of the country if it misses its biggest chance to open its account in the assembly this time.
Kerala’s date with a landmark Assembly election saw 71.7% voter turnout at 6 pm on Monday, which was lower than the 2011 turnout of 75.12%. Congress has roped in noted character artiste and comedian Jagadish to take on him in the constituency. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came for electioneering in Kerala, the fight reached at the national level. “It shows that all sections of the people want to bring about a change in the state polity and it will benefit the BJP-NDA”, he said.
The total number of constituencies are 140 with general seats numbering 124.
Despite the sultry summer heat and lack of mid-summer rains, all prominent party leaders had hit the campaign trail.
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However, the leader who was involved in getting the BDJS onboard said he expected to win “upwards of five seats”. They were also engaged in decorating the booths up with festoons. Last year Mani was forced to step down from the cabinet after his name cropped up in the bar bribery scandal.
