Campaigning picks up in Alappuzha\, Mavelikara

Keral

Campaigning picks up in Alappuzha, Mavelikara

District Collector S. Suhas doing a mock poll as part of commissioning of electronic voting machines in Alappuzha on Sunday.

District Collector S. Suhas doing a mock poll as part of commissioning of electronic voting machines in Alappuzha on Sunday.  

more-in

Roadshows, rallies and door-to-door campaigns in full swing

Just over a week to go for the voting day, the campaigning has picked up pace in Alappuzha and Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituencies.

Braving the searing heat conditions, all major political fronts and candidates are engaged in wooing voters with roadshows, rallies and door-to-door campaigns.

In Alappuzha, both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate A.M. Ariff of the CPI (M) and United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Shanimol Usman of the Congress are entangled in a neck-and-neck fight. The candidates have already completed two rounds of campaigning in the constituency. Giving them fight is National Democratic Alliance candidate K.S. Radhakrishnan of the BJP. He too is involved in a high-decibel campaign.

To further energise the UDF camp, Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Alappuzha on Tuesday. According to the District Congress Committee, Mr. Gandhi will address an election rally of the UDF at 3.30 p.m. at the Municipal stadium.

The Mavelikara constituency, which is spread across three districts, is witnessing a spirited campaign. The LDF candidate Chittayam Gopakumar of the CPI conducted the third round of electioneering in Kuttanad on Sunday. The UDF candidate Kodikunnil Suresh toured the Kunnathur Assembly constituency as part of the second round of campaigning. While the UDF is hoping to complete a hat-trick of victories, the LDF is on a mission to wrest the seat from them. The NDA candidate Thazhava Sahadevan of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), whose candidature was announced late compared to the LDF and UDF, is working hard to catch up with the rival fronts.

EVMs commissioning

Meanwhile, preparations are in full swing in the district for the polling on April 23. Officials said that the commissioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) for Alappuzha and Mavelikara constituencies had been completed. The commissioning was carried out in 14 Assembly segments in the two parliament constituencies.

The EVMs have been shifted to strong rooms, the officials said.

Next Story