Alappuzha: A polling station that first began functioning inside a leprosy sanatorium 91 years ago- during the reign of the Travancore Maharajas- continues to operate in the ongoing local body elections in Kerala. The booth, located in the Nooranad Leprosy Sanatorium in Alappuzha district, was established in 1934, when the institution housed more than 2,000 inmates.

At the time, patients were not permitted to mingle with the general public or visit external polling stations. As a result, a special booth was set up inside the sanatorium to ensure they could exercise their voting rights. In its early years, the institution also witnessed intense electioneering within its grounds- often more vigorous than the campaigns held outside.

Top political leaders such as E M S Namboodiripad, P K Vasudevan Nair and K Karunakaran have visited the sanatorium for campaign programmes. However, over the years, fewer election-related events were conducted at the sanatorium as the number of inmates decreased.

While only the Congress and Communist parties had active supporters earlier, other parties also gained a foothold later when people belonging to diverse backgrounds came as inmates.

During the royal era, outsiders were not allowed to vote at the polling station in the sanatorium. Presently, there are only 55 voters at the booth, and some of them are residing in other places. Ten of the voters are bedridden and the candidates have sought facilities to enable them to exercise their franchise.