Kerala enters silence campaigning phase; Candidates make last-mile outreach
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala on Wednesday entered the mandatory silence period ahead of the April 9 Assembly polls, with candidates and party workers making last-ditch efforts to reach out to voters through door-to-door visits and personal contacts.
After nearly a month-long campaigning period, a total of 2.71 crore voters would exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 883 candidates in the crucial polling for the 140-member Assembly to be held on Thursday.
With high-decibel campaigning ending on Tuesday evening, the focus has now shifted to quiet, direct voter engagement, as candidates seek to secure support from all sections of voters in their constituencies.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed in sensitive constituencies to prevent any untoward incidents, while distribution of polling materials is being carried out across the state from Wednesday morning.
According to the Election Commission, campaigning through public meetings, rallies, media interactions and election-related interviews is strictly prohibited during the silence period to ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders.
In an advisory, the Commission directed star campaigners and political leaders to refrain from addressing the media through press conferences or interviews on poll-related matters during this period. Of the total 2.71 crore voters, 1.32 crore are men, 1.39 crore women and 273 transgender persons, along with over 2.42 lakh overseas voters.
The contest is primarily among three fronts -- the CPI(M)-led LDF, the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA.
The state's Chief Electoral Officer, Rathan U Kelkar, has said that all arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of polls.
A total of 30,495 polling stations have been set up across Kerala, including 24 auxiliary booths created following the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, he said.
These additional booths are located in Kasaragod, Kannur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.
Among the polling stations, 352 will be managed entirely by women and 37 by persons with disabilities, Kelkar said.
He added that 140 distribution and collection centres have been established, while counting will take place at 140 strongrooms and 43 locations.
As part of security measures, around 2,000 persons identified as potential troublemakers have been placed under preventive detention. Authorities have also executed about 11,000 non-bailable warrants and removed over 3,400 social media posts for alleged violations of poll norms.
The conclusion of public campaigning on Tuesday evening saw a vibrant display of political mobilisation across the state, with roadshows, rallies and processions filling town centres, marked by party flags, drum beats and slogan-shouting workers.
Apart from traditional canvassing, political parties also relied heavily on television, print media and social media platforms to reach voters during the campaign period.
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PM must clarify whether he endorses Sarma's 'utterly shameful' remarks on Kharge: Priyanka
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New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said the use of "abusive" language by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is "utterly shameful" and added Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify whether he endorses this "insult".
Sarma had triggered a row on Tuesday when he hit out at Kharge, saying that he was "speaking like a mad man" due to old age, after the latter put the onus on central agencies to probe the charges made against the Assam chief minister.
In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "The kind of abusive and derogatory language used by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against the Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, is utterly shameful and unacceptable."
She said Kharge is one of the most senior leaders in the country and serves as an enlightened representative not only of the Congress party but also of the Dalits and the marginalised sections of the nation.
"By insulting him, the BJP chief minister has insulted crores of people across the country," she said.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify to the nation: does he endorse this insult directed at crores of Indians?" she said.
The Congress on Tuesday accused Sarma of insulting party chief Kharge and demanded an unconditional apology from him for his "deplorable conduct" that it alleged reflects the "anti-Dalit mindset" of the BJP.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday had said the use of "derogatory language" against party chief Mallikarjun Kharge by Sarma was an insult to the entire SC/ST community, and the silence of Prime Minister Modi on the matter "is not his helplessness, but his consent".
"If the prime minister sees an attack on the dignity of crores of Dalits in the country and does not speak up - he is not only shirking his responsibility, but is also a party to that insult," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
Gandhi said the use of "vulgar and derogatory language" by Sarma against Kharge "is entirely condemnable, shameful, and unacceptable".
"Kharge ji is a senior and popular Dalit leader of the country - his experience, stature, and prestige are unparalleled. Insulting him is not an insult to one individual alone, but also to crores of people from the SC-ST community in this country," he posted.
This, he said, just reflected the "old and premeditated mindset" of the BJP-RSS and was nothing new.
"Whether it is the insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar, belittling Dalit leaders, or personal attacks on representatives of the SC-ST community - the history of BJP and RSS bears witness that whenever a Dalit leader speaks the truth, they stoop to humiliate him," Gandhi said.
"This is their ideology, this is their true character and face," he added.
Posing a direct question to the prime minister, he asked, "Do you support Himanta Sarma's use of this language? Your silence is not helplessness, it is consent."
