Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 23: The Election Commission is aiming to achieve a voter turnout exceeding 85 per cent in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, CEO Ratan U Kelkar said on Monday.
He was speaking at the release of ‘Vottarivu’, an election reference manual prepared by the Press Information Bureau, Thiruvananthapuram, for journalists covering the 2026 Assembly polls.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the state witnessed 75.60 per cent voter turnout.
A government release said Kelkar highlighted the significance of the publication, noting that it compiles accurate and comprehensive information on Kerala’s electoral journey, including a detailed historical overview of Assembly elections in the state.
He said the manual would serve as a valuable resource for media professionals and encouraged journalists to focus on disseminating constructive and positive election-related narratives to the public, the release said.
Presiding over the function, V Palanichamy, Additional Director General of PIB for the Kerala-Lakshadweep region, expressed confidence that the reference book would greatly assist journalists in their coverage.
Conceived as a concise yet informative guide, ‘Vottarivu’ traces the history of Kerala Assembly elections since 1957 and presents key constituency-wise data from the 2021 polls, the statement said.
A digital version of the manual has also been made available on the official Press Information Bureau website, it added.
The Assembly elections in Kerala will be held on April 9.
