PALA: Announcement vehicles of various political parties are moving through the length and breadth of Pala town without any breaks. Booking has been put on hold in almost all hotels and lodges in Pala town. Ministers, MPs, MLAs and national and state leaders of various parties, who are camping in Pala, are making a beeline for their respective candidates. All these indicate the campaign for bypoll is reaching its crescendo.
With only three days left for the open campaign, electioneering has entered a crucial stage and political leaders are trying to meet as many voters in person. Being the leading parties of the UDF and the LDF, the Congress and CPM, respectively, have taken over the mantle of electioneering in the final phase. While almost all the ministers have been attending various meetings, especially grassroots-level family meets being organised in every booth for LDF candidate Mani C Kappan, the UDF has brought a majority of its MPs and prominent leaders to Pala to campaign for its candidate Jose Tom. Senior Congress leader AK Antony will campaign for Jose on Wednesday.
Putting their differences on hold, Kerala Congress (M) working chairman P J Joseph has promised to participate in the meeting. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will attend nine meetings in the constituency for the LDF candidate for three days from Wednesday. After the campaign attended by BJP’s national leaders, including its national secretary from Tripura Sunil Deodhar, BJP state general secretaries K Surendran, AN Radhakrishnan, national leaders PK Krishnadas, Alphons Kannanthanam, NDA leaders P C Thomas, PC George and Thushar Vellappally will lead the final phase of election work for candidate N Hari. Unlike other elections, parties are concentrating more on grassroots level works by convening family meetings. “Unlike creating a clamour through microphones, we are trying to create intimacy with the voters through door-to-door campaigns and family meetings.
We hear them and give a reply to their concerns. We have successfully conducted this method in all the 176 booths in the constituency,” said V N Vasavan, CPM district secretary. At the same time, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who is in charge of UDF’s election works, said they decided to avoid making the campaign tumultuous as the by-election came following the demise of their towering leader K M Mani. Whatever be the reason, Pala constituency has been witnessing unprecedented heat of electioneering with all the three political fronts taking victory as their prestige issue. Candidates are busy with campaigns in various grama panchayats, especially in rural areas.
Candidates busy
Candidates are busy with open vehicle campaigns in various grama panchayats, especially in rural areas. The UDF candidate was in Karoor and Ramapuram panchayats on Tuesday and he will campaign in Moonnilavu and Thalanad panchayats on Wednesday. LDF's Kappan was in Ramapuram and Karoor panchayats on Tuesday and will visit Elikkulam and Meenachil panchayats on Wednesday. Hari campaigned in Kozhuvanal, Mutholi, Meenachil and Elikkulam panchayats on Monday and will campaign in Kadanad, Melukavu, Moonnilavu and Thalanad panchayats on Wednesday.