As millions vote, polling ends in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry

ChennaiThiruvananthapuram Millions voted on Monday in Kerala Tamil Nadu and Puducherry bringing down the curtains on staggered fivestate elections the biggest popularity test since the Lok Sabha battleSome 40 million voted in Tamil Nadu which saw multiple contests in all constituencies for the first time and about 18 million in Kerala where the BJP made determined efforts to make inroads in a state dominated by the Congressled UDF and the LDF headed by the CPIMThe polling percentage in Kerala which elects a 140seat assembly was 7035 at 5 pm Election Commission officials said it could well cross the 7512 per cent recorded in 2011 when the polling ends at 6 pmOfficials said over 65 percent of the 58 million electorate in Tamil Nadu had voted by 4 pmIn Tamil Nadu the ruling AIADMK was pitted against the DMKCongress alliance a front led by the DMDK of actorturnedpolitician Vijaykanth the PMK and the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP Polling in two of the 234 constituencies has been postponedThe main fight in Puducherry which has a 30member house is between the CongressDMK combine and the ruling All India NR Congress AINRCIn all three states voting began on a brisk note at 7 am and continued on that pace throughout the day Long queues formed at all polling centres but the polling was largely peacefulIn Kerala both Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and CPIM veteran VS Achuthanandan asserted that their coalitions were set to win the electoral battleChandy who heads the Congressled United Democratic Front UDF said at his hometown Puthupally near Kottayam We are certain the people will give us one more chanceAdded Congress leader and former chief minister AK Antony For the first time in the state a ruling party is going to retain power While the Left will remain in the opposition the BJP wont win any seatBut Marxist leader Achuthanandan whose Communist Party of IndiaMarxist CPIM heads the Left Democratic Front LDF was equally confidentThere is a huge wave in our favour We are heading for a landslide victory People are going to show the exit door to ChandyState BJP president Kummanem Rajasekheran contesting in Vatiyoorkavu in the state capital said There is a strong opposition to both the Left as well as the Congress Thats why we are hugely confidentTamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa did not predict the outcome In two days the verdict will be known she said after voting in ChennaiDMK chief and former chief minister M Karunanidhi his son and party treasurer MK Stalin and state BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan voted in Chennai tooKarunanidhi said the DMKCongress combine was poised to win and form the next governmentIn Chennai actors Kamal Haasan Rajinikanth Ajith Sundar C and Khushboo voted In Kerala too the Malayalam film industry turned out in strength to exercise their franchiseThe AIADMK is aligned with some smaller parties The DMKs allies include the Congress two Muslim parties and some smaller outfits The third front has the DMDK CPIM CPI VCK TMC and MDMKStaggered assembly elections began on April 4 in West Bengal and Assam