Malappuram: The polling in underway in the Malappuram constituency in the State for the by-election being held to to fill the Lok Sabha seat.
"Polling, which began at 7 AM, has been picking up on a brisk note. Around 25 per cent of votes have been cast till 10.30 AM in the constituency.
Muslim League leader Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal and UDF candidate P K Kunhalikutty were among the early voters in the constituency. Thangal and Kunhalikutty were the first and second voters at booth number 97 in Panakkad respectively.
BJP candidate N Sreeprakash cast his vote at Pandikkad. LDF candidate M B Faisal does not have his vote in Malappuram.
Along with the main contenders, six independents are also there in the fray in Lok Sabha constituency comprising the Assembly segments of Perinthalmanna, Mankada, Manjeri, Malappuram, Kondotty, Vengara and Vallikkunnu.
Considering the past elections of Malappuram, about 70% of the 1.3 million voters are likely to reach polling booths before 6 pm. There are more than 1100 polling stations in the constituency with a total electorate of 13,12,693.
Counting of votes is on April 17.
The seat fell vacant following the death of former Union Minister and IUML leader E Ahamed. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Ahamed had won the seat by a margin of 1,94,739 votes against CPI(M)'s P K Sainaba.