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Monday, Apr 20, 2009
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Post-poll hostilities fuel tension

Mohamed Nazeer

CPI(M), Sudhakaran lock horns over preventive arrests, alleged murder plot

Unexpected escalation of emotions on both sides
Heated exchanges continue even after polling

KANNUR: The post-poll verbal duel between the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the district is not wholly unexpected, given the fierce do-or-die election campaign launched by the traditional rivals here.

But the unexpected escalation of emotions on both sides on an alleged ‘plot’ betrays the entrenched animosity between the CPI(M) district leadership and Congress leader K. Sudhakaran, MLA, who is also the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate for the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency.

As there is no love lost between the CPI(M) leadership in the district and Mr. Sudhakaran, the election campaign in the constituency witnessed charges and counter-charges that bordered on personal attacks.

The general view is that the CPI(M) would not have upped the ante in the election in the constituency if the UDF candidate had been any leader other than Mr. Sudhakaran, a bete noire of the CPI(M) here.

CPI(M) campaign

During the campaign, the CPI(M) unleashed a campaign against Mr. Sudhakaran that sought to portray him as a symbol of ‘criminalisation of politics’ in the district. Mr. Sudhakaran sent a lawyer’s notice to a CPI(M) leader for tarnishing his reputation.

The heated exchanges between the two sides in the midst of the electioneering continue even after the polling. The ‘battle’ between the CPI(M) and Mr. Sudhakaran and his supporters this time is over the preventive arrest of three persons from here on the polling day, who were released by the court the next day on execution of self surety.

The CPI(M) leaders here claimed that the three were part of a ‘criminal gang’ hired by Mr. Sudhakaran for a ‘plot’ to ‘eliminate’ a prominent person and blame it on the CPI(M). Mr. Sudhakaran and his supporters viewed the arrest as a ploy of the CPI(M) to implicate him in a fabricated criminal case. He alleged a CPI(M) ‘plot’ to eliminate A.P. Abdullakutty, the sitting MP, who has been expelled from the CPI(M), and blame him for the plot.

There is concern about post-counting tension if the intensity of political hostilities in the district continues to increase.

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