Parties stop campaigining 24 hrs ahead of EC deadline

Political parties in Kerala ended their over two week long campaigning for the September 23 bypoll in Pala Assembly constituency on Friday, 24 hours ahead of the Election Commission deadline. The parties decided to stop the campaigning on Friday in view of death anniversary of Kerala's legendary social reformer and spiritual leader Sree Narayanu Guru on Saturday.

The last three days saw intense campaigning by Chief Minister Pinaryai Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala. Taking the lead role in the campaigning for LDF candidate Mani C Kappen, the Chief Minister attacked the opposition UDF over the alleged corruption during their rule, particularly raising the issue of corruption in the construction of Palarivattom flyover in Kochi.

He said the LDF government has decided to rebuild the flyover after it started developing cracks within three years of being built. The bridge was built during the previous Congress-led UDF rule.

Vijayan indicated that the corrupt would be jailed. "Such people will have to eat government sponsored food," he said.

The UDF has rejected the charges, saying the flyover developed cracks due to some technical fault. Hitting back at the Chief Minister, Chennithala, leading the campaign for UDF candidate Jose Tom Pulikkunnel, raised the issue of corruption in the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).

Addressing a press conference in Pala, he demanded a CBI probe into the alleged corruption in implementation of two KSEB projects by the LDF government,spending funds from KIIFB. Vijayan has dismissed the charges and alleged that attempts were being made to destroy KIIFB, which is a major source to fund biginfrastructure development projects.

BJPs Kottayam district president N Hari is the partys candidate in the bypoll. Both the Congress and BJP raised the Sabarimala women's entry issue to attack the LDF government.

The issue was a major plank of opposition parties during the Lok Sabha election. The two opposition parties accused the LDF government of implementing the Supreme Court verdict, permitting women in menstrual age to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, in a hurried manner.

The September 23 bypoll in Pala is considered an acid test for the Left, which was routed in the Lok Sabha polls with the Congress-led UDF winning 19 of the 20 seats. The Catholic Syrian community and Hindus account for most of the electorate in the segment, where the by-poll has been necessitated by the demise of KC(M) founder leader and former finance minister K M Mani on April 9..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)