Lok Sabha elections: Repolling in 3 more booths in Kerala, one-day campaign ends

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM / KANNUR: The Election Commission has decided to conduct repolling in three more booths where bogus voting has been confirmed. Repolling will be held at two booths in Kannur and one in Kasaragod on Sunday. With this the total number of booths which will go for repolling on Sunday has become seven.
Booth number 48 of Kuliyodu GHS, Trikaripur in Kasaragod, booth number 52 and 53 of Kunnirikka UPS, Dharmadom, Kannur, are the three booths in which repolling will be conducted.
The decision was taken by chief electoral officer (CEO) Teeka Ram Meena after obtaining nod from the central commission. The commission had announced repolling in four booths on Thursday.
Booth number 19 of Pilathara in Kallyasseri, booth number 69 of Puthiyangadi Jama-at High School north block and booth number 70 Jama-at High School south block in Kasaragod and booth number 166 of Mappila AUPS at Thaliparamba in Kannur are the four other booths which will be going for polls on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the one-day campaign ended rather peacefully on Friday evening though there were some minor clashes in some areas. Both the UDF and the LDF, facing allegations of bogus votes, were seen accusing each other of indulging in electoral fraud and their campaigns were focused on that aspect only.
The CPM had said that it was because of the UDF, which cast bogus votes, that the EC announced repoll in four booths. Since three booths out of the four were IUML-dominated areas, this was justified in the beginning, though the entire episode of bogus voting came to the fore with the alleged bogus votes in Pilathara, a CPM-dominated area. But with the announcement on Friday, ordering repolls in two booths in CPM-dominated Dharmadom and Trikkaripur, the party may have to withdraw that claim. The UDF alleged that the officials failed to ensure free and fair voting even in the chief minister's assembly segment, Dharmadom.
There was some bickering between the CPM and the IUML workers at Pamburuthy near Mayyil during CPM candidate P K Sreemathy's campaigning. When the party workers came to some households, the IUML workers said that the male workers should not go to the households where there are no males.
In Pilathara, part of Kasaragod constituency, Congress alleged that CPM workers manhandled UDF candidate Rajmohan Unnithan and the crew of a television channel. Kannur DCC president Satheesan Pacheni said the police officers, including the local SI and police inspector, were mute witnesses to the assault. Following the attack, Unnithan was admitted to a hospital.