The high voltage public campaigning in the state for the Lok Sabha polls came to an end on the final day on Sunday, with clashes being reported between opposing groups.
A record 227 candidates will fight it out for the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, which go to the polls in the third phase of polling on Tuesday.
A total of 25,408,711 voters, including 13,111,189 women, 12,297,403 men and 119 belonging to the other gender, will exercise their franchise in 24,970 polling stations spread across 14 districts.
In Vadakara, Kozhikode District Collector Sambasiva Rao has declared Section 144 from 6 pm to 10 pm on the day of the polls. This will be in effect in Vadakara, Onchiyam, Nadapuram, Perambra and Kunnummmal Grama Panchayats.
In Alathur, UDF candidate Remya Haridas was injured during her campaign following stone pelting by crowds that were gathered. Alathur MLA KD Prasenan also incurred minor injuries in the campaign during the scuffle that broke out in the constituency.
“Remya and Wadakkanchery MLA Anil Akkara were injured while campaigning near the Taluk Hospital in Alathur after LDF and UDF cadres clashed and pelted stones at each other. The duo was admitted to the Taluk hospital after they were injured in the stone pelting,” one of the coordinators involved in Remya’s campaign told TNM.
After campaigning in over 20 Lok Sabha constituencies, veteran Congress leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy concluded his campaign in the state capital on Sunday.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Congress candidate and sitting MP Shashi Tharoor's campaign was stopped reportedly by Left supporters while Tharoor along with veteran Congress leader AK Antony were taking out a road show in the coastal region in Veli.
Though the roadshow continued after some time, a peeved Antony later said that this was the first time that he encountered such a fracas and that it happened in front of the police.
"If this is the fate of the leaders, how will a free and fair election be held? Both Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are responsible for unleashing violence," Antony said.
However, the LDF in a statement said that the news was baseless. "The road shows of both the UDF and the LDF were progressing in opposite directions and what happened is only the traffic was disrupted when both the shows were passing through one point. It is not desirable that a senior leader like AK Antony is creating confusion among voters," LDF election committee chairman M Vijayakumar and Secretary GR Anil, said in a statement.
While there were scuffles between the CPI (M) and BJP workers in Pathanamthitta, UDF and LDF workers got into verbal arguments in Vadakara and Kozhikode.
In Ponanni, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) workers created trouble for Left-backed Independent candidate and sitting MLA PV Anwar.
Meanwhile, in the scuffle that broke out during campaign at Govindapuram in Kozhikode district, local CPI(M) leader was reported to be injured in the scuffle. LDF workers in Kattakada and Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram were also reportedly injured.
The other places where party workers clashed with each other were Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki.
In Kochi, the police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the workers of the Left and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
Speaking to the media while on a roadshow in Thiruvananthapuram, Oommen Chandy stated that the battle in Kerala was between the LDF and the UDF.
“I have visited more than 20 constituencies now and this is my final campaign. Everywhere I went, I noticed that the atmosphere has warmed up to the UDF,” he said. Regarding the political battle in the state, the former CM categorically stated that the fight was between the LDF and the UDF fronts and that the BJP will not make inroads into Kerala. “Kerala has always witnessed political battles. The fight is between the LDF and UDF. BJP’s communal propaganda will not affect the state. No one is against the UDF in the state. People here have understood the facts,” Chandy added.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala too concluded final campaigning in Thiruvananthapuram, rooting for two-time MP Shashi Tharoor who is the Congress candidate from the constituency. Chennithala also addressed a press meet at the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office in the state capital and claimed that the Left had already conceded defeat ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
“It looks like the LDF has already accepted defeat ahead of the elections. Today, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that the BJP and Congress will help each other ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. This is nothing but a cheap tactic of a person who has started smelling defeat,” Chennithala said in the press meet.
Meanwhile, BJP state President PS Sreedharan Pillai said: "The development agenda set out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been widely accepted, and it will be there to be seen on May 23.”
With IANS inputs