Kerala polls: UDF sales space agent in Trikaripur assaulted, candidate requires re-election

By Express News Service
KASARAGOD: The Congress-led UDF on Wednesday demanded the election be stopped in Pilicode panchayat in Trikaripur constituency after a UDF sales space agent was allegedly assaulted by CPM staff.

The CPM has denied the cost.

UDF candidate M P Joseph, a former UN diplomat, stated his sales space agent James Maroor, who can also be the district secretary of Kerala Congress, was assaulted at sales space no. 127 at Government Model School at Vellachal in Pilicode panchayat — a bastion of the CPM.

In a video launched on social media, Joseph stated Maroor was assaulted by 4 individuals and his telephone snatched away. “The presiding officer did not intervene and the micro observer defended the assaulters,” he stated. Speaking from a wheelchair in a personal hospital, Maroor stated the CPM staff requested him to depart the sales space as they “do not allow anyone else to be in the booth”.

“When I told them to maintain the democratic decorum, they said there was only their decorum and no democracy,” Maroor stated, additional including that somebody hit his head from the again.

“I told the presiding officer to protect me. He did not move his finger. There were two police officers — one with a gun — outside the booth. They did not even get up from their seats. Then the assaulters took me outside and assaulted me,” he stated.

Joseph stated the polling must be stopped and held on one other day with full police safety and with Maroor because the UDF agent. “I have informed the observer,” he stated.

The LDF candidate and CPM chief M Rajagopalan stated that he was not conscious of the alleged incident as he was obtainable at different location.

When contacted, panchayat member of Vellachal and CPM chief C V Radhakrishnan stated no such incident occurred. “I am at the model school and no such incident happened here. The polling is going on smoothly,” he stated. The UDF candidate got here to the sales space and left, he added.

When requested if there was a UDF agent within the sales space, he stated: “There is nobody here.” 

In Pilicode and neighbouring Kayyur-Cheemeni, all of the panchayat wards are gained by the CPM-led LDF. In 2020, the Congress gained one ward in Pilicode panchayat due to “some local issues in the CPM”, stated a CPM employee.

During the campaigning, Joseph had flagged 73 cubicles within the constituency, calling for video surveillance and additional safety.