A booth for 29 people inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve

Pachakkanam, a remote polling station inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), is arguably one of the stations with the lowest number of voters in the State.

The polling station is set up in an Anganwadi building here. Pachakkanam is included in the newly formed Mullaperiyar ward of the Kumily grama panchayat. As per the new voters’ list, the total number of voters in the polling booth is 29, said Kumily grama panchayat secretary R. Ashok. “There are 16 men and 13 women voters in the booth. We will arrange all facilities for a smooth polling in the booth,” he said. 

According to officials, since 2016, Pachakkanam has been witnessing a steady decline in the number of voters. The number of voters in the previous Assembly elections in 2016 was 39.