Thiruvananthapuram: The final day of the public campaign turned into a high decibel affair as all three fronts tried their best to showcase their strength. In Thiruvanan-thapuram, several scores of party workers gathered at Peroorkada junction. The highlight of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections final day of the campaigning was that there was a large presence of women and youth.
The curtain came down on the election campaign in the city on Sunday evening with an impressive display of political might by all the parties in the fray. Campaigning reached its crescendo at the scheduled deadline at 6 pm at Peroorkada junction. From 3 pm onwards, party workers belonging to UDF, LDF and NDA led two-wheeler and vehicle rallies to Peroorkada junction from across the district.
Even before the deadline of the public campaigning came to an end at 6 pm, all the roads to Peroorkada were chock- a -block leaving the traffic haywire. Usually, candidates of all the leading political fronts reach Peroorkada junction at the culmination of the election campaigning.
This time, among the candidates, only LDF candidate C. Divakaran reached Peroorkada junction. UDF candidate Sha-shi Tharoor was in the coastal areas along with CWC leader. NDA candidate Kummanam Rajase-kharan put up a road show at Kazhakkoottam. BJP leadership alleged that a LDF worker had thrown a chappal against Kummanam. Kummanam had kicked off his road show from Parassala and culminated at Pazhava-ngadi.
So in effect, majority of the major junctions in the capital city had come to a standstill. This time, there was a large gathering of youth and women belonging to all the three leading fronts when the campaign reached its crescendo. There was a large presence of police and CRPF personnel to prevent any kind of untoward incidents. They ensured that the party workers of all the leading political fronts did not encroach beyond their allocated areas at Peroorkada junction.
Among the sea of flags belonging to CPM and BJP, the Congress party’s flag was not so prominent. But that did not deter the sentiments of the party workers. Campaign vehicles fitted with high-decibel speakers criss-crossed in all the 100 wards in the Thir-uvananthapuram corporation limits to make a last-minute appeal to the voters.
All these high decibel campaign vehicles culminated their campaigning at Peroorkada.
No plastic within 100 m radius of polling booths
As part of its effort to ensure a green election, the district administration has banned plastic products in 100-metre radius of every polling station in the state capital. The two-day ban order would come into effect on Monday, the day before the polling.
Collector K. Vasuki said that green protocol would be strictly enforced at all polling stations in the district. There are around 2715 polling stations in the district. Flex, plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic plates are among the products that have been banned.
Distribution of food in plastic packets and drinking water plastic bottles will not be allowed in the 100-metre radius. The ban order would be enforced by a special team constituted by the district administration. Police and NSS (National Service Scheme) volunteers would be deployed for surveillance at every polling station.
This is the first time the NSS volunteers are taking part in the polls to ensure a green election in the state. It is learned that there are around 3000 NSS volunteers in the state capital.
Meanwhile the green army under the city corporation has swung into action on Sunday designing posters and putting up messages at Sri Swathi Tirunal Music College – the main distribution centre of the Lok Sabha Poll. The civic body has constituted special teams to ensure a model election following green protocol.
“Our aim is to ensure a model election by enforcing the green protocol, which got an immense response during Attukal Pongala,” said the official.
