The election fever reached a crescendo as several hundreds took to the streets on Saturday as curtains came down on the campaign for the byelection in the Vattiyurkavu Assembly constituency.
The campaign finale was reflective of the tight electoral battle that the constituency is witnessing.
Road shows were taken out by the political parties to Peroorkada, where numerous rallies converged from various parts of the district. While smaller shows of strength were also organised by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in other places, including Vattiyurkavu and Kesavadasapuram, the United Democratic Front (UDF) decided to stick to Peroorkada alone, accusing the rival camps of inconveniencing the public.
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While the workers of rival camps came close to blows many times, the police managed to maintain peace throughout the event that lasted three hours.
The UDF campaign of the last day was marked by a road show, led by Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, that began at Valiyavila and concluded at Peroorkada. Besides the candidate K. Mohan Kumar, Shashi Tharoor, MP, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Mullappally Ramachandran, and other prominent leaders accompanied him.
Actor Jagadeesh lent star power in support of Mr. Kumar, who has been his close friend since their days at the Government Arts College.
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Youth brigade
LDF candidate and Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.K. Prasanth took out a last-minute tour of various places, including Pattom and Kinavoor, before reaching Peroorkada for the campaign finale where he was joined by a boisterous crowd of youngsters who showcased various cultural motifs to the accompaniment of percussion beats.
The show proved to be a fitting end to his campaign that had witnessed a huge youth presence.
The NDA also took out a road show with much fanfare. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan inaugurated the programme at Vattiyurkavu. Senior leaders Kummanam Rajasekharan, M.T. Ramesh, and Poonjar MLA P.C. George were among those who participated in the rally.