BJP’s Coimbatore candidate Annamalai booked for campaigning after 10 pm

A case has been filed against Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief K Annamalai on April 12 by the Coimbatore police for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). He was booked for campaigning beyond the permitted time limit of 10 pm. The party’s Coimbatore president Ramesh Kumar and district treasurer Senthil Kumar were also booked. 

The campaign was held in Coimbatore’s Avarampalayam and cadres of the INDIA bloc demanded action against Annamalai. According to reports, this led to a clash between BJP and INDIA bloc cadres. It is also alleged that BJP members assaulted INDIA bloc workers, which led to one of them being hospitalised. A separate case was registered against Annamalai based on a complaint from a member of a party in the INDIA bloc over the brawl.  

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate for Coimbatore Ganapathi P Rajkumar on April 12 said that there was a police vehicle present during Annamalai’s campaign. He added that the DMK cadre questioned the police on why Annamalai was allowed to campaign after 10 pm. N Karthik, Coimbatore Urban District Secretary of the DMK, alleged that the BJP hired henchmen from other cities to attack them.

According to The Hindu, a show cause notice has been issued to the flying squad for not acting quickly to prevent the clashes. 

Responding to the allegations levelled against him, Annamalai said that the election code only mentions that loud speakers must not be used after 10 pm to 6 am but there was no restriction on meeting the public after 10 pm. He further added that his campaign had taken a predetermined route that was already approved by the police. Annamalai also claimed that the DMK is scared of losing and that meeting people after 10 pm was approved by the police.