Around 7.15 am, one of the first few voters to turn up at the polling booth in Mudavunmukal school near Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram was actor Mohanlal. As the actor stood in queue with around a hundred other voters, cameras clicked away and the line kept growing.
Soon, the voters were informed that the Electronic Voting Machine had malfunctioned and efforts were being made to repair it. Though the poll booth officers promised that the problem would be rectified soon, it took almost 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, word had spread that Mohanlal was in the queue and curious people and fans started trickling into the booth premises. Though Election officers and the police told Mohanlal that he can come back later instead of standing in queue, he refused. The actor stood in line for more than 45 minutes, till the EVMs started functioning.
Once the voting resumed, police asked the actor to cut the queue and vote as the crowds were swelling. But the actor waited for his turn and voted another 15 minutes later.
Twenty seats in Kerala are going to the polls on Tuesday. There has been brisk polling with the state registering 31% votes till 12 pm.
