Fadnavis, VS AchuthanandanVengara: As the campaign fever reaches its crescendo for the Vengara Assembly by-poll, star campaigners arrived to raise the poll pitch.
The CPM turned to its crowd-puller V.S. Achuthanandan a day before campaign ends.
VS boosted the morale of the LDF camp with his appealing rhetoric laced with wit and scathing attack on political rivals, including Kunhalikutty.
VS addressed a public meting in Vengara in the evening. During the Malappuram Lok Sabha by-poll earlier this year also, the CPM had roped in the party veteran a day ahead of the campaign. He drew huge crowds then too.
The BJP's Jana Raksha Yatra has also hit Malappuram, with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and union minister Narendra Tomar being the star attractions. BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain and Rajya Sabha MP Richard Hay also participated in the yatra, which began in the district's border with Kozhikode at Idimuzhikkal.
There was also a public meeting in Edappal at 530 a.m.
The UDF concentrated on household meetings and so was the LDF.
Top UDF leaders including Oommen Chandy, IUML supremo Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal, KPCC president M.M. Hassan and opposition leader Ramesh Chennthila participated in the household meetings.
The UDF could not rope in senior Congress leader A.K.Antony for the campaign.
On Thursday alone, 112 household meetings were organized in six panchayats and altogether nearly 550 household meetings have taken place according to rough estimates.
The Election Commission is also keeping a tight watch. The police seized Rs 9,47,000 from various vehicles. Those traveling in vehicles with more than Rs 50,000 are supposed to keep valid documents, failing which the money will be seized.
Read more: Latest on Vengara | Uphill task for IUML to cling on to Kunhalikutty's Vengara margin
