‘Kottikalasam’ marks end of campaigning for local body polls in Thiruvananthapuram

The hectic campaigning for the local body elections in the Thiruvananthapuram district concluded on Sunday evening with candidates, leaders and workers of the three major political fronts coming together at various parts of the city and rural centres for a “Kottikalasam”, the loud, celebratory culmination of the campaigning. While much of the celebrations concluded peacefully, minor scuffles were reported from a few areas.

At Pothencode, workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress were involved in an altercation and came to blows, before the police intervened to calm the situation. Anticipating tension between the party workers, the police had demarcated specific areas for celebrations for each party. A few police personnel were posted in the space between the various parties.

One of the major convergence points in the city was the Peroorkada junction, where the various parties attempted to outdo each other in pomp and loudness quotient, often leading to cacophony. Smaller versions of the same were witnessed across major junctions. In the afternoon, most of the candidates led road shows for one last time through their respective wards. Cranes seemed to be much in demand at the convergence points for candidates to raise themselves above the crowd of party workers and have a bird’s eye view of the celebrations.

The district will go to the polls on December 9, along with five other districts in southern and central Kerala. On Monday, the party workers and candidates will be involved in a round of silent campaigning, to make one last earnest pitch to the voters. With the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation witnessing a three-cornered fight between the Left Democratic Front, the United Democratic Front and the National Democratic Alliance, the stakes are high. A few votes can make all the difference in capturing power at perhaps one of the most important civic bodies in Kerala.