THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The campaigning for by-elections in Kerala’s three Assembly constituencies ended Thursday with huge roadshows put up by the rival candidates. Kannur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha are going to polls on Saturday under heavy security to elect new representatives in place of K Sudhakaran, KV Thomas and KC Venugopal who were elected to Parliament. The ban on open campaigning and election-related shows on television and radio came into force at 5 p.m.
Candidates fielded by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are engaged in a fierce battle in all these constituencies.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of cleric-turned politician Abdunnasar Ma’adani, who supported the LDF in Parliamentary elections in April, has fielded its own candidate in Alappuzha while Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the Popular Front of India which supported the UDF then, is testing political waters in Kannur.
Top leaders, including Defense Minister AK Antony, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, three junior federal ministers from Kerala, Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and all his 19 Cabinet colleagues campaigned actively for their candidates.
