However the campaigning was marred by mutual allegations between CPIM-led LDF and Congress-headed UDF at several places.
Aggressive political tussle to woo voters has come to an end in all the fourteen districts of Kerala this evening. Even if the last leg of the campaigning witnessed bitter and sub standard allegations and accusations, over all campaigning in Kerala was by and large peaceful. According to election commission, about 16 per cent of 20,758 polling booths of the state are sensitive. Polling process in 93 booths will be monitored through live web-casting. One lakh twenty five thousand officials and about eighty five thousand security personnel will be deployed to ensure smooth poll.
Meanwhile, campaigning ended this evening for Wednesday’s Assembly polls in Tamilnadu, Kerala and Puducherry. In Tamil Nadu, the missing cycle and bike rallies with fluttering flags made a rare appearance Monday as curtains come down on campaigning. Candidates on improvised vehicles were making the final rounds of the constituencies in their last bid to woo the voters. The Election commission has taken a serious view of continuing instances of voters being lured with cash and gifts and has issued a stern warning against such unfair practices. Chief Electoral officer Praveen Kumar said, the Commission will be forced to take appropriate action if such incidents are repeated. Our correspondent reports that importance of the Tamil Nadu elections can be gauged by the fact that political parties fielded their star campaigners including national leaders this time.
Electioneering also ended peacefully in Puducherry this evening with leaders of top political parties making their last bid to woo the voters. In West Bengal, over 97 lakh voters of 54 assembly constituencies in six district of North Bengal would decide the fate of 364 aspirants in the first phase on the 18th of this month. Our Correspondent reports that the election department has established about 12092 polling booths across six districts of North Bengal of which 3607 polling booths have been detected as sensitive.