Assembly elections 2021 round-up: States record high turnout; violence in some areas

NEW DELHI: A high voter turnout was recorded in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Tuesday, with the Congress along with its allies like the DMK locked in a keen contest to regain turf in South India.


In Kerala, where the Left is hoping to beat anti-incumbency to retain power, a feat unseen in four decades, while the BJP is making efforts to build inroads, nearly 74% polling was recorded till 7pm.

There was 63.47% voting in Tamil Nadu for 234 assembly constituencies and 77.90% in Puducherry till 5pm.

The three-phase assembly election culminated in Assam with nearly 79% polling in the final round in the state where the ruling BJP is battling the Congress-led alliance to retain power, while the trend of high turnout and violence during polling continued in West Bengal as the ruling Trinamool Congress, the BJP and the Left-Congress alliance put up an intense fight in the high-stakes contest.

Five candidates, including two women, were assaulted in poll-related clashes as over 77% voting was recorded in 31 seats in West Bengal till 5pm in the third phase.

Record seizure of cash, other items

During the ongoing elections till this phase, a record seizure of Rs 947.98 crore has been made from the four states and Puducherry as on April 6 .

According to the EC data, the amount of cash and other items seized during the elections is over four times the total seizure of Rs 225.77 crore in 2016.



A total of Rs 331.56 crore in cash, Rs 73.81 crore worth of liquor, drugs valued at Rs 156.81 crore, gold and other precious metals worth Rs 266.82 crore and other freebies of Rs 119.03 crore have been seized, as per EC data for all the states.

The commission seizes such cash during the poll season as part of the election-related surveillance and a certain amount is released post-verification if the money is found to be for genuine purpose, an official said.




The EC has deployed hundreds of general observers, expenditure observers and static and mobile surveillance teams in the country to keep a check on the flow of black money and other illegal gratification so that the level playing field of holding fair polls is not disturbed.

A total of 19 Air Intelligence Units (AIU) of IT Department were also set at different stations in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, according to the government.

With Tuesday's round of voting, polling has now concluded in all the states except West Bengal.

The assembly elections began from March 27 and the counting of votes will take place on May 2.

(With inputs from agencies)

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