The United Democratic Front (UDF) has demanded deployment of central forces in Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency on grounds that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] was unleashing violence due to the fear of losing the election. District Congress Committee president K. Praveen Kumar told reporters here on Saturday that he has approached the Election Commission with the demand, in his capacity as the Chief election agent of UDF candidate Shafi Parambil.
“There have not been any effective steps from the part of the police even after the bomb blast in Panoor and the death of a CPI(M) worker. The CPI(M) leaders and the LDF candidate K.K. Shailaja are fully aware of it,” he alleged.
Mr. Kumar said that it was usual for the CPI(M) to capture booths by noon and scare off polling agents of other parties, and hence the demand to set up web cameras in all the booths in the constituency.
He also alleged that there were several people with dual votes in the constituency even in the final voters’ list. He cited some examples and promised to come up with more soon.
