KOZHIKODE: Polling for the local-body elections was peaceful in the district on Monday. Of the 25.5-lakh voters in the district, 59.92 per cent exercised their franchise in the elections to the78 grama panchayats, 12 block panchayats, 28 district panchayats, the Kozhikode Corporation and the Koilandy and Vadakara municipalities.

There was heavy security, especially in sensitive wards of the city and Beypore Grama Panchayat.

Polling began at a slow pace at 7 a.m. and picked up momentum towards forenoon in the corporation wards. A heavy turnout was witnessed in the suburban and grama panchayat booths, such as Beypore, Feroke and Kadalundi. Serpentine queues were seen in Marad-Sagarasarani, Marad and Mundakkad wards.

The voting officially concluded at 5 p.m. But those who were in the queue before 5 p.m. were permitted to vote. Voting continued till 6 p.m. in some rural polling stations.

Moderate polling was recorded for the elections to the 55-member corporation council. Nearly 50 per cent of the 3.76-lakh voters exercised their franchise, according to official statistics. The exact polling percentage will be received only on Tuesday.

The figures are likely to change because of double entries and enlisting of deceased persons in the voters' list. Names of non-resident Indians have also figured. Large-scale complaints about the voters' list cropped up, and several people had to return home disappointed without voting.

Three persons were held on impersonation charge. One of them was held at Elathoor and the others at Chevayur and Payyanakkal in the city. A scuffle between workers of two parties took place at Theruvathu School at Puthiyangadi. The police intervened to disperse the mob.

At many places, voting was delayed by the breakdown of electronic voting machines. A machine got struck in the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School at Payyanakkal, resulting in the suspension of polling for 45 minutes. Voting was delayed by half an hour in Madrasathil Muhammadiya Vocational Higher Secondary School at Parappil on account of the differences in the voters' lists with the presiding officer and the booth agents.

Electronic voting machines were used only in the corporation and municipal wards.

Confusion prevailed at the booths in villages as the voters had to cast three votes: to the grama, block and district panchayats. This led to long delays in some polling stations.

Long queues of women could be seen at the booths in Beypore and Kadalundi grama panchayat limits. Nearly 33 per cent of the electorate cast their voters in Jinarajdas Aided Lower Primary School by 10.30 a.m. Likewise, 30 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in Vivekananda Vidyalayam at Sagarasarani at 11 a.m.

In the polling stations at the Government Lower Primary School at Beypore South, the Government Upper Primary School at Naduvattom and Krishna Memorial Junior School, 30 to 35 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise before 2 p.m.

The dog squad and the bomb squad made a thorough search of the sensitive booths of Beypore Grama Panchayat, prior to polling.

Heavy polling was witnessed in Umbichi Hajee Higher Secondary School, Chaliyam; Kadalundi Aided Lower Primary School; the Government Ganapath School, Feroke; Madrassathul Manar Lower Primary School; and the Government Lower Primary School, Kannancherry.

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