1 week ago
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Political parties concluded their poll campaign on Wednesday in the Idukki Lok Sabha constituency, the largest in the State, with a grand finale.
Roadshows and rallies were taken out in Kattappana and Thodupuzha towns. The United Democratic Front and National Democratic Alliance candidates marked the end of their campaigns with ‘kottikkalasham’ at Thodupuzha town, while the Left Democratic Front candidate chose Kattappana town for the finale.
The vibrant processions, with an array of balloons and party symbols, were a sight to behold as they moved through the towns.
LDF candidate Joyce George’s campaign finale began with a roadshow at Cheruthoni and concluded at the Idukki Kavala near Kattappana town.
UDF candidate Dean Kuriakose’s roadshow began at Vengallur, near Thodupuzha, and concluded at the Gandhi Square. At the end of the high-voltage campaign, Mr. Kuriakose interacted with people from an earth mover.
NDA constituent Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS)‘s candidate Sangeetha Vishwanathan conducted a roadshow at Thodupuzha town and attended the finale at the Thodupuzha Gandhi Square.
However, during the final lap of the election campaign at Thodupuzha town, an altercation was reported between UDF and LDF workers. UDF leaders alleged that LDF workers tried to encroach on the allotted area of the UDF candidate, which resulted in a clash. The police reached the spot and removed LDF workers from the spot.
As the election campaign entered the final phase, the utilisation of MP funds became a major point of discussion in the constituency. In a statement, LDF chief election agent C.V. Varghese claimed that the Idukki MP and UDF candidate Dean Kuriakose did not utilise ₹3.66 crore from the fund.
Mr. Kuriakose and the UDF leadership countered this, asserting that the funds had been fully utilised.
However, the Idukki Collector warned Mr. Varghese against publishing any notice without updating data from the utilisation of the MP fund. According to leaders, UDF district chairman Joy Vettikuzhi approached the Collector over Mr. Varghese’s statement. UDF district leadership said they would take legal action against LDF’s propaganda.
