The last hurrah

With hours left for the polls, candidates of Ernakulam Constituency ensured the last day of open campaigning was spent well by meeting voters

Ernakulam Lok Sabha candidates Alphonse Kannanthanam (NDA), P Rajeev (LDF) and Hibi Eden (UDF) sharing a light moment at the inter-religious Easter celebration held at Chavara Cultural Centre in Kochi  Express

KOCHI: It was one of a kind Easter morning at Chavara Cultural Centre in Kochi. The clock read eight; the morning mass at the St Joseph's Monastery Church, adjacent the centre, was still going on. In 
15 minutes, LDF's Lok Sabha candidate for the Ernakulam constituency P Rajeev walked into the centre where he was received by director Fr Robby Kannanchira and representatives of other faiths. In another 15 minutes, UDF's Hibi Eden arrived, following which NDA's Alphons Kannanthanam also marked his arrival. 

With the culmination of election campaigns on Sunday, this was the first time that all candidates shared a stage since the elections were announced. The rare appearance of all candidates together owed to the  Inter-Religious Easter Breakfast organised by the centre. "The competition in Ernakulam constituency reflects the true spirit of politics and democracy. In this situation, we are political rivals but we are all friends in real life," said Alphons.

The meeting also led to light moments among the candidates. With the election campaign reaching its final phase, the candidates have been under immense pressure. Though Hibi looked visibly stressed, Alphons was the first one to point it out. "I would like to take this moment to gift Hibi a comb. He has not even combed his hair," he said, for which the audience erupted in laughter. 

While LDF's Rajeev invoked a verse from the Gospel according to Luke where Easter is the celebration of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who "lived to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and set the oppressed free", he hoped to do the same once elected. 

The candidates then cut the Easter egg and proceeded to enjoy the breakfast arranged for them. Present along with the candidates were Acharya Sachidananda Bharathi (Sachidananda Bharathi), Harjeet Singh (a representative from the Sikh community), retired Justice P K Shamsudheen, Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation director Monamma Kokkad, literary figure  M K Sanu and entrepreneur Roopa George among others.