Political parties and candidates in the district have kick-started their electioneering in different local bodies as the deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers ended at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
According to election officials, 86 candidates are contesting the 24 divisions in the Kannur district panchayat. As many as 13 candidates withdrew their nominations in the district panchayat on the last day of withdrawal, they said adding that a total 106 nominations had been received.
Early start for LDF
As far as the election campaign is concerned, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has made an early start. The other parties and coalitions are expected to keep pace with the electioneering of the rival candidates in a day or two. The Congress leaders here met on Saturday to chalk out election plans and to form an election committee.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, on its part, will hold a gathering of its candidates in the district and party workers here on October 20. BJP national secretary H. Raja will address the party workers, a press release said. There will be friendly contests between candidates of the same party in some civic bodies in the district. A prominent friendly contest will be in the Panjikayyil ward of the Kannur Corporation where the UDF’s official candidate is K.P. Razique of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Congress leader P.K. Ragesh, former president of the Pallikkunnu panchayat here, refused to withdraw his nomination papers filed for contesting in the same ward. District Congress Committee president K. Surendran said action would be taken against any Congress worker who contested against official candidate of the UDF. Mr. Ragesh, a close confidant of party leader K. Sudhakaran till recently, broke away from the Sudhakaran faction and joined the ‘A’ group of the party. Party sources said Mr. Ragesh would face disciplinary action for contesting as rebel candidate.
In another development, the election officials here said the officials of co-operative societies and co-operative banks had been exempted from election duties as per a directive of the State Election Commission.
