Thiruvananthapuram resonates with colourful kottikalasham as campaigning ends
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the curtains fell on public campaigning for the local body elections, political parties brought their 20-day campaigns to a vibrant close with high-decibel celebrations across major junctions of the capital city during the traditional kottikalasham on Sunday. From 3 pm onwards, party workers thronged junctions including Peroorkada, Vazhottukonam, Pettah, Kodunganoor, Kazhakoottam, Jagathy, PMG, Muttada, and Sasthamangalam. Supporters, particularly women, turned the streets into a spectacle, dressed in bright colours, and traditional attire bordered with party flag motifs. Party workers danced to drumbeats, waving festoons and balloons, while police maintained order by standing between rival groups. District leaders joined the festivities to project confidence ahead of the polls, expressing optimism about the outcome in the tightly contested corporation. In Peroorkada, candidates arrived in open vehicles accompanied by drumbeats. NDA candidates drew attention by climbing onto a crane lifted high above the crowd, while UDF and LDF candidates chose to wave from vehicles or the ground. The day began with candidates touring their wards in open vehicles and bike rallies adorned with massive party flags. Many supporters sported Che Guevara-style berets, while in Kunnukuzhi, the LDF candidate surprised the public with yellow shirts emblazoned with his image in red. At Jagathy, Kerala Congress (B) candidate Poojappura Radhakrishnan campaigned alongside party chief and Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar, aiming to wrest the seat from the BJP, which has held it for 15 years. The high-octane finale was not without tension. In Pothencode, clashes erupted between UDF and LDF supporters, prompting police intervention. Across the corporation, a triangular contest has emerged in many wards. Both NDA and UDF have leaned heavily on anti-incumbency sentiment. The Congress leadership, determined to wrest control from the LDF, has fielded a mayoral candidate and intensified campaigning in coastal areas where it suffered losses in the previous election. The LDF, meanwhile, anticipates that Congresss push may erode BJPs urban vote base, strengthening its own prospects. All three major fronts also face intense competition from rebel candidates.
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