Kannur: The Congress and BJP have sought for the deployment of central forces for the local body polls in Kannur, fearing election irregularities like booth capture alongside violence in the district notorious for such incidents. However, the CPM argue that the situation in the district does not warrant it, though the police have identified over 1,000 sensitive booths in the district.
A few untoward incidents, including attempts to manhandle candidates, were reported in some parts of the northern district as campaigning picks up for next month's election. A scooter belonging to the husband of a Congress candidate in Cheruthazham Panchayat was set on fire the other day.
Kannur DCC president Satheeshan Pacheni insisted that the central forces will have to be summoned for the smooth conduct of the local body polls in Kannur. “The CPM is already giving hints of the violent incidents set to happen,” he said.
BJP district president N Haridas also alleged that the CPM tried to threaten those who filed nomination papers and the people who supported them. "This is part of an attempt to sabotage the elections. The central forces should be deployed for providing security," he demanded.
Both the Congress and the BJP alleged that there will be poor security cover at polling booths as the CPM is in power in the state. However, the CPM claimed that the demand for central forces has been made to hide the discomfiture as 15 LDF candidates have already been elected unopposed.
The central security forces are often deployed in the states for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections as they are administered by the Election Commission of India.
Apart from providing special protection for sensitive booths, the central forces have never been summoned for local polls in Kerala.
CPM state committee member P Jayarajan said "People are peacefully engaging in political activities. No conflicts have happened so far. The Congress and BJP are trying to create a smokescreen,” he alleged.
District police chief G H Yathish Chandra too said that no major incidents of violence have been reported from Kannur so far. The police have carried out a preliminary audit of the sensitive booths. Discussions will also be held with the Collector, he said.
