Kerala Assembly polls: Public campaigning to end today as three-way battle heats up

Thiruvananthapuram: Public campaigning for the April 9 Kerala Assembly polls will end on Tuesday. Congress, the BJP, and the ruling LDF have intensified attacks on each other, while the LDF released a progress report claiming it has fulfilled 97 per cent of its 2021 promises.

A total of 2.71 crore voters, including 1.32 crore men, 1.39 crore women and 273 transgender persons, along with over 2.42 lakh overseas voters, are eligible to cast their ballots, according to the figures provided by the Election Commission.

The election will decide the fate of 890 candidates contesting for 140 seats, after a campaign marked by sharp exchanges over issues including Congress allegations of a “deal” between the CPI(M) and the BJP and claims of mismanagement of funds collected by the Congress for housing landslide victims in Wayanad.

The massive landslides in 2024 claimed more than 200 lives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held multiple rallies and roadshows for NDA candidates in the state, which has long been dominated by the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF.

As the countdown begins for the crucial polls, top national leaders of the BJP, including Home Minister Amit Shah, and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, intensified their campaign in the state on Monday.

The ruling LDF’s campaign was led by CPI(M) veteran and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Earlier in the day, Shah held a massive roadshow for BJP candidate Sandeep Vachaspati in Haripad, the home turf of senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who has been

renominated from the constituency in the coastal district of Alappuzha.

Rahul and Priyanka addressed separate campaign meetings for candidates of the Congress-led alliance in Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kannur districts, alleging a “deal” between the BJP and the CPI(M) to defeat the Congress-led UDF.

“There is a hidden hand helping the LDF against the UDF,” Rahul alleged at a campaign meeting in Mala in Thrissur.

He also termed Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Vijayan as “arrogant”, alleging that they have a mindset of ruling over people rather than working with them.

Addressing a corner meeting in Christian-dominated Peravoor in Kannur district, Priyanka alleged that the LDF had made a deal with the BJP, which she said “harasses” minorities, especially the Christian community and nuns.

She also raised the Sabarimala gold theft, alleging that the PM’s silence suggested a “political understanding”.

Priyanka further alleged that those who speak against the PM face cases by agencies such as the CBI, ED or Income Tax Department, while no such case exists against the CM.