An estimated 74.4 per cent of voters in Kerala exercised their franchise today as voting ended peacefully in all the 140 assembly segments across the State.

According to provisional figures released by Election Commission after polling ended at 5 pm, a total of 74.4 per cent of the 2.31 crore electorate cast their votes, exceeding the 2006 poll percentage of 72.38.

Kannur district topped in the turnout recording 80.4 per cent followed by Kozhikode (80.2) and Alappuzha and Ernakulam with 77.8 and 77.4 per cent. The lowest voter participation was reported from Pathanamthitta (68.2) and the capital district Thiruvananthapuram (68.5). In Palakkad district, where Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan is contesting in Malampuzha segment, the turnout was 75.3 per cent. Key players include Chief Minister and CPI-M veteran, Mr V.S. Acuthanandan (87), seeking mandate from the Left bastion Malampuzha in Palakkad district for the third time. UDF's chief ministerial probable Mr Oommen Chandy is back in Puthuppally in Kottayam, from where he has won nine times in a row.

Kerala PCC President, Mr Ramesh Chennithala, is contesting to the assembly after a long gap from his home turf Harippad in Alappuzha and late K Karunakaran's son, Mr K Muraleedharan, is seeking election from Vattiurkavu.

Besides Mr Achuthanandan, 14 ministers are seeking fresh mandate, eight from CPI-M, two from CPI, one each from RSP, Congress-S, Janata Dal-S and Kerala Congress (Thomas).

BJP is pinning its hopes on senior leader Mr O. Rajagopal, contesting in Nemom to open its account in the assembly.

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