Stephan Kayyar

Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (EP)

Kasargod, Apr 22: Curtains were drawn on public campaigns on Sunday, April 21 in constituencies where second stage of elections will be held here. Political parties resorted to last minute brisk campaigns to win the hearts of voters. Elections will be held in all the twenty constituencies of Kerala including Kasargod on April 23.

Parties gave more importance to road shows on Sunday. The road show for LDF candidate K P Sathishchandran began on Sunday morning from Hosangadi and concluded in Payyanur with public campaign in the evening.

The road show in which UDF candidate Mohan Unnithan took part ended in Kasargod old bus stand after brisk campaign.

The road show of BJP candidate Ravish Tantri Kuntaru concluded in Kasargod in the evening. Candidates had got more than a month for campaigns. Instead of conferences, they had personally met the voters and requested for votes. As national level leaders did not reach Kasargod for campaigns, the candidates stressed on campaigns through local leaders.

A K Antony, KPCC president Mullapalli Ramachandran and Ramesh Chennithala had campaigned for UDF. Sitaram Yechury and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had campaigned for LDF. Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Tavar Chand Gehlot and other leaders had reached for campaigns in favour of BJP.

Kasargod Lok Sabha constituency draws attention by triangular contest. New faces in UDF, LDF and BJP are in the fray.

Congress led UDF party has not won in Kasargod after 1984. Though it is found to be strong fort of LDF its decreasing margin in every election has increased expectations of UDF. LDF has won by 1.8 lac votes in 2004, 60 thousand in 2009 and more than six thousand votes in 2014. K P Satischandran is in the LDF fray instead of P Karunakaran. UDF has got strong leader Rajmohan Unnithan in the contest. BJP has decided to defeat both of them through Kuntaru Ravish Tantri.