Voter turnout lowest in Kozhikode Corporation

The Kozhikode Corporation, despite the high-profile contest, recorded the lowest polling rate in the district.

While most other local bodies in the district had more than 75% polling, it was just 69.55% in the Kozhikode Corporation. Incidentally, the polling percentage has been declining steadily in the city over the years, with 74.78% in 2015 and 70.49% in 2020.

“Most youngsters are out of the State either for education or employment as they have no opportunities here. The State government is responsible for it,” said K. Praveen Kumar, president of the District Congress Committee.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary M. Mehaboob said youngsters studying in Karnataka were unable to make it for the elections as they had exams, which led to the low polling rate.

Meanwhile, basing the polling on the voters’ list of 2010 is cited as one of the reasons for the low polling percentage. Many voters in the list have voted elsewhere as they had moved out of the city years ago.

Mr. Praveen Kumar said the United Democratic Front (UDF) faced unusual hurdles like discrepancies in the voters’ list and “unscientific delimitation of wards”. He expressed confidence that the UDF would come to power in the Corporation and projected Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary P.M. Niyas as the mayoral candidate of the party.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mehaboob refused to name any candidate for the Mayor’s post until the results were announced, even though outgoing Deputy Mayor C.P. Musafar Ahamed is projected as a hot favourite by party workers.