and joining me from the Padman Awami Temple outside that temple is my colleague Umar Sudhir, who has flown into Kerala to track all the voting and the politics of Kerala. Playing out, Um, a fascinating contest there, of course, more politically aware, politically involved state than any in India. Kerala. How are the voting percentages there so far? I mean, you know, in the past. And what's the message there to the voters of Kerala, who will exercise their franchise tomorrow? As you know, as you mentioned Kerala much, much more politically aware and very, very involved and engaged. In fact, there's a joke that always does the round saying that in Kerala you could be discussing about Czechoslovakia or about Russia, and the family can get into an argument about the politics that happens. And now, of course, closer home. Whether it's the BJP, the left leaning or the Congress, you know, people are aware, they read the chaara is some place where even now if you go, there will be those political debate that are happening and yes, as compared to Bengaluru. Thuram, always having been doing very well on the voting front, 73% and more is what they did in 2019 and the state's own voting percentage. Also good, of course, the rest of the country we are blaming the weather for it. But this time around, in Kerala, in fact, the election and political heat has been much, much more than before. If you were to see election campaigns in Kerala earlier, they would be rather sober. But this time perhaps it is the BJP effect. Perhaps it is the Narendra Modi Effect, Rajiv Chandra Shekhar effect here in Thuram that you see much more glitzy, much more glam, and you can't but help look at the kind of campaigns that they carried out. And there is such a high pitch that everyone perhaps started talking about, yes, what I need to do already. They were, you know, you know, that they are politically thinking about who they have been wanting to vote for and talking about the issues. Interestingly, not just Kerala's own issues, but what happened in Manipur. The killings in Manipur, whether it's the CAA, several other national issues, the Kerala story as well. All of that have come into play, as you know, issues in this particular election, that people are talking about. And, of course, in Ran where perhaps the hottest of all the contests is going to be happening with Mr Shashi Tharoor, who wants to get 1/4 term in office, being challenged by Rajiv Chandra Shekhar, union minister and, of course, a veteran from the CP I, Mr Ravindran. So all that action unfolding. And I can tell you that even though the normal crowd is there for the you know, Pam Temple, everyone seems very enthusiastic that they are going out and voting in this election. In fact, I know of family members and friends who are flying in from Bengaluru and elsewhere because they have their vote here. Fascinating stories there of people flying in from different parts to go out and vote. If you're sitting in the city, all you need to go out and vote Weather, of course, has been intermittent there in Kerala, right? It's been raining sometimes hot other times, But thanks very much. Um, we'll keep tracking all the latest with you from Kerala all through tomorrow
