Thiruvananthapuram: The final day of the public campaign on Sunday turned into a high decibel affair as all three fronts tried to showcase their strength resulting in conflicts in various parts of the state.
Kozhikode district collector Sambasiva Rao enforced prohibitory orders in Vadakara constituency on the polling day.
As per his order, Section 144 will be in force from 6 pm on April 23 to 10 pm on April 24 to ensure a peaceful atmosphere refraining people from gathering in Vadakara, Onchiyam, Nadapuram, Perambra and Kunnummal village panchayats.
He banned public functions and rallies in the district from 6 pm on April 21 when election campaign ends till voting ends at 6 pm on April 23.
Left activists blocked senior Congress leader A. K. Antony's roadshow at Veli on the outskirts of the state capital. He along with Dr Shashi Tharoor, the candidate, had to walk the rest of the way. The former defence minister described it as CPM hooliganism.
CPM workers hurled chapels at BJP candidate Kummanam Rajasekh-aran at Kazhakuttom. Mr Rajasekharan in a complaint to the police alleged that LDF activists atta-cked him in the presence of mayor V. K. Prasanth.
In Kunnathukal here, CPM and BJP activists clashed.
In Pathanamthitta, CPM and BJP activists pelted stones at each other injuring one policeman.
There was a minor scuffle at Kanjirappally after LDF cadres stopped the roadshow of BJP candidate K. Surendran.
There was a fight between CPM and SDPI at Palarivattom in Ernak-ulam. At Ponnani in Malappuram, the LDF cadres got into an argument with the police injuring Kalapancherry inspector Priyan.
LDF and UDF activists got into an argument over their allotted areas for ending the campaigning at Vadakara in Kozhi-kode, later giving way to clashes.
There is a massive deployment of the police and central armed forces given the tense situation prevailing here. A scuffle between activists between LDF and UDF were rep-orted from Thodupuzha in Idukki also.
Antony’s roadshow gets blocked in capital city
When the top brass of the Congress leadership hit the streets of to campaign for their star candidate Dr Shashi Tharoor, it witnessed tense moments.
Left activists blocked former defence minister A. K. Antony's roadshow at Veli on the outskirts of the city as the campaigning entered the last hour.
“We lost a precious hour,” said Dr Tharoor, as the Congress workers took them to safety.
The two along with local legislator V. S. Sivakumar and DCC president Neyyattinkara Sanal had to get down from their vehicle and walk almost an hour to restart the show.
Mr Antony lashed out at the CPM for what he described as hooliganism.
“This is the first time in my political career that I had experienced such an incident. They denied my right to move freely,” the senior leader said.
Dr Tharoor said the police remained mute witnesses all this time.
Former chief minister Oommen Chandy, who conducted a roadshow with Dr Tharoor earlier in the day, condemned attacks on Congress leaders including Alathur candidate Ramya Haridas and Anil AKkara MLA, hurt in stoning and hospitalised.
He said there was no violence of this scale against political rivals during elections in recent history. “They unleashed violence against UDF candidates because of fear of defeat. But these attacks are not going to dampen the spirit of UDF supporters,” he said.
LDF justified their action saying they reached Veli first and the UDF roadshow was intruding into their space. When Mr Antony and Dr Tharoor arrived there, there was a blockade which forced them to climb down.
Even on the last day of campaigning, Congress leaders were keen on making it out that the fight is between the UDF and LDF and the BJP is not in the race.
From day one, KPCC leadership was maintaining that BJP will not open its account in Kerala these Lok Sabha elections. Mr Chandy reiterated it at his roadshow.
"General trend favours UDF. The fight is between LDF and UDF in Kerala,” he said.
