Assembly polls: Counting in Kerala begins

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Counting of votes polled in the May 16 Assembly elections, which will decide the fate of 1203 contestants, including 109 women, in Kerala, began this morning amid tight security.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, IUML leader and Industries minister, P K Kunhalikutty, Kerala Congress (Mani) supremo and former Finance minister, K M Mani, 93-year-old V S Achuthanandan, CPI(M), party Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan, BJP state president, Kummanam Rajasekharan and cricketer-turned politician Sreesanth are among those who contested the polls.

The two-month long campaign saw the ruling Congress-led UDF and CPI(M) headed LDF engaging in a fierce battle, with BJP-NDA alliance also eyeing to open its account for the first time.

An estimated 2.61 crore electorate had voted to choose their representatives to the 140-member state Assembly.