Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar announced that 1.46 lakh trained polling staff will be deployed across all polling stations for the state Assembly elections, which will be conducted in a single phase on April 9. The counting of votes is set for May 4.

Approximately 2.7 crore voters are expected to take part in the polls. He also stated that cases related to election violations have been registered against 180 individuals.

"As part of the arrangements for Kerala Assembly elections, we have the total electorate of 2.71 crores, and the service voters are 53,984... We will be counting the votes in 140 strong rooms and 43 locations. We have 1.46 lakh polling personnel who have been trained and will be dispatched to all the polling stations... We have FIRs against 180 people in terms of election-related activities, and more than 1,200 police teams are very actively working in the field... We are ensuring that all the new initiatives by the Election Commission are implemented properly," he said.

Meanwhile, the last day of campaigning for the Keralam assembly polls drew to a sizzling close on Tuesday with a high-voltage political "roast," which turned to be the highlight of a long, sweltering and humid day.

The almost a month-long campaigning by political parties came to a close at 6 pm on Tuesday and the State entered the mandatory 48-hour silence period ahead of polling for the 140-seat Assembly.

The election is seen as a contest between the ruling LDF and opposition UDF, with the BJP-led NDA, which has been gaining vote share, also hopeful of its prospects in the southern state.