Flouting all restrictions imposed by the police, supporters of the United Democratic Front (UDF), the Left Democratic
Front (LDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took to the streets on Monday afternoon, causing tension and heavy traffic blocks in several parts of the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency.
Campaigning for the Malappuram byelection came to a frenzied finale by 6 p.m. as supporters of the three main contenders staged a noisy performance. Accompanied by music bands loaded on vans and waving giant flags of their respective parties, the campaigners danced on the streets. They came to near blows at places like Kunnummal and Vadakkemanna when they converged at key places during the last hours of the campaign.
The police had to intervene to prevent the workers from coming to blows.
The police, after discussions with the UDF and the LDF leaders, had restricted the entry of noisy campaigners to Malappuram town in the afternoon. However, the BJP refused to comply saying that it had not been consulted.
The BJP workers took their road show to Malappuram town violating the police restriction, much to the annoyance of other parties. Workers of the UDF and the LDF too took their campaign vehicles to the town in the afternoon.
Road blocks were formed at many places, including the National Highway 66. Vehicles were stranded on the highway as noisy campaigners took to the streets at several places between Calicut University and Kakkad. “I got stranded in a bus for about an hour at Chelari. I too like politics. But celebrating an election this way is ridiculous,” said
M.M. Thamjid Noushal, a higher secondary student from Vallikkunnu.
Police said they did their best to avoid clashes. They were deployed at places where party workers took to the streets, celebrating the electioneering finale.