As the polling for 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala is underway, several people who cast their vote or lined up to do so, collapsed and died. Two polling officers, too, reportedly collapsed while on duty and are have been shifted to hospital.
In several constituencies, voters had started lining up at polling booths even before polling started at 7 am on Tuesday. Though there were light showers in some parts of the state, the state is experiencing sweltering summer heat.
Kannur constituency reported three deaths. Venugopal Marar had just reached home after casting his vote at a polling booth in Taliparamba in Kannur when he collapsed. Although he was taken to Taliparambu Cooperative Hospital, he could not be saved. Mudoli Vijayi, a 65-year-old woman, collapsed and died as she was standing in the queue at the polling booth Chokli Ramavilasam School in Vadakara. 52-year-old A K Musthafa, an Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader, was midst some election-related work at a polling booth in Thalassery under Kannur Lok Sabha constituency when he collapsed and died.
In Kollam constituency, a 63-year-old man, identified as Mani, could not find his name in the voter’s list and was discussing the same with the polling officials at the Kilikollur LP School in Eravipuram constituency when he fainted. He later died while being taken to hospital.
Thressyakkutti (79) from Parappuram fainted in a booth near Kalady in Chalakkudy constituency. She was getting a voting slip and entering the room when she collapsed. She was taken to a private hospital in Kanjoor but died on the way.
Chacko Mathai (86) from Pezhumpara near Ranni in Pathanamthitta constituency died as soon as he entered the polling booth to vote in Vadasserikkara panchayat in Pezhumpara.
KR Baburaj, a voter from Pulloor in Kasaragod, collapsed and died on his way to cast vote.
According to the Mavelikkara police station, 74-year-old Prabhakaran fainted as soon as he reached home after returning from the polling booth in Kandiyoor. He died later.
Polling officers collapse
According to Manorama News, two polling officers, too, collapsed while on duty. A polling officer, who was on duty at the Enadimangalam Chalayodu UP School booth number 143, collapsed. Pranukumar, a polling official at deployed at Peralassery LPS booth 69, fainted following a seizure and was shifted to hospital.
With the polls underway in 20 Lok Sabha constituencies, there has been brisk polling with the state registering 31% votes till 12 pm.