A BJP candidate contesting in the upcoming Kerala local body polls collapsed and died while campaigning on Saturday. The incident happened in Kollam district while the candidate was out with his party workers for canvassing. The deceased, identified as 60-year-old Elliparambath Vishwanathan, was declared the BJP candidate in Parampimukku ward in Panmana panchayat in Kollam district.
Vishwanathan collapsed after he stepped out of his home with party members to campaign at the Kollisseri junction in Panmana on Saturday morning, reports Manorama News.
According to the report, though he was rushed to the Karunagappally Taluk Hospital and then to the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital, he succumbed. The deceased’s body has been shifted to the Karunagappally Taluk Hospital mortuary. According to reports, the funeral will be held after the COVID-19 results of the deceased come out. Vishwanathan is survived by his wife Sathidevi, daughter Biji, and sons Vipin Kumar and Vinu Kumar.
Earlier this month, another candidate who had filed nominations to contest in the local election died after a tree fell on her during campaigning. Forty-two-year-old R Girija Kumar was the candidate fielded by the Congress in Puthiya Uchakkada ward of the Karode panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram. While doing door-to-door canvassing, a tree that was being chopped fell on her head as she was walking through a narrow lane in Puluvetty.
The local body polls in Kerala will be held in three phases, on December 8, 10 and 14. Over 1.68 lakh nominations have been filed for the 1,199 local bodies in the state. 1.23 lakh nominations alone have been filed for the 941 gram panchayats in the state, while 14,195 people have filed nominations to contest for the 152 block panchayats. Meanwhile, 4,347 people have applied to contest for the six corporations in the state and 22,798 people for the 86 municipalities.