Thiruvananthapuram: K Ayyappan Pillai voted at the age of 105. He is one of the eldest voters in Kerala. His family members accompanied him to the polling booth to ensure he casts his vote in Thiruvananthapuram Thaikkattu LP school.  

Meanwhile, Kerala registered more than 70.34% voter turnout in the first nine hours of polling. One of the highest voter turnouts was recorded in Kannur with 75.41 %.

In 1934, Mahatma Gandhiji reportedly asked Ayyappan Pillai to enter politics. In 1940, Pillai became the first counsellor in the Congress.  Later, he retired from the post of chairman of the law academy and is now resting at home in Thaikkattu.

Similarly, Karnataka’s Ganapathi Shambhu Salunke, the 101-year-old man from Majewada in Asnoti in Karwar has become a role model for first-time voters in the state. Ganapathi has never missed a chance to cast his vote since 1952.

He had earlier worked as an assistant sub-inspector of police in the then Mysore state and has also worked in places such as Uttara Kannada.

Meanwhile, in separate incidents in Kerala, five people died near polling booths while waiting to cast their votes. The deceased have been identified as Chacko Mathai, Vijaya, Thresya Kutty, Prabhakaran and Mani.

A total of 13 states and two union territories including Gujarat (26 constituencies), Kerala (20), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (14), Uttar Pradesh (10) Bihar (5), West Bengal (5) Assam (4), Chhattisgarh (7), Goa (2) Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Diu, Kashmir with one constituency each went to polls today. Polling began at 7am.