Thiruvananthapuram, April 9 (NationPress) As the clock struck 6 p.m. on Thursday, the much-anticipated ‘festival of democracy’ reached its conclusion, marking the end of polling across Kerala.

However, in various booths, the democratic fervor continued as voters remained eager to cast their ballots even beyond the official deadline.

Generally, the State experienced a largely uneventful voting process.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer, at the close of polling, the voter turnout was recorded at 75.01 per cent of the 2.71 crore eligible voters by 5 p.m.

For context, the 2021 Assembly elections saw a turnout of 75.75 per cent. With many lines still present in booths post-6 p.m., it’s uncertain if the final turnout may reach 80 per cent. Achieving this milestone would mark the first time since 1987 that the 80 per cent threshold is surpassed.

With the voting concluded, the State now enters a period of anxious waiting.

All attention is directed towards May 4, when counting will commence at 8 a.m. across various centers, revealing the political future of Kerala.

The pressing question that captivates voters and political factions alike is straightforward yet crucial: who will govern the State Secretariat for the next five years?

In the lead-up to the results, confidence levels and claims are surging across all three primary political alliances.

The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), under the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and organizational guidance of party secretary M. V. Govindan, projects a positive outlook.

Both leaders have claimed their front will exceed its current 99 seats in the 140-member Assembly, which, if achieved, would signify a substantial consolidation of authority.

Conversely, the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) has outrightly rejected these predictions.

Veteran Congress figure A. K. Antony, alongside current party leaders such as V. D. Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, State President Sunny Joseph, and former president K. Sudhakaran, have forecasted a significant comeback.

Their united claim is ambitious; the UDF aims to surpass the 100-seat milestone, which they characterize as a definitive mandate for transformation.

Introducing a third perspective, the Bharatiya Janata Party has presented a notably different outlook.

State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar has suggested a hung Assembly, a scenario that, if realized, could drastically reshape Kerala’s long-standing two-party political system.

This prediction attracts attention given the BJP’s minimal electoral presence in the State, having won only one seat in 2016, which was lost in 2021.

For now, these assertions remain within the realm of political discourse, as Kerala enters a quiet yet tense waiting period.

By noon on counting day, numbers will replace narratives, and the decision of 2.71 crore voters will be unveiled—clear, definitive, and indisputable.

Until that time, Kerala holds its breath.