Kozhikode: Clashes erupted during the Chevayur Service Cooperative Bank election on Saturday, with stones being thrown at vehicles transporting voters. Polling occurred at the Parayancheri Government Higher Secondary School under heavy police protection. It was reported that the windows of some vehicles were shattered in the stone-throwing incidents.
Only 8,703 of the 35,000 votes were polled due to the conflict. The election is between the official Congress panel and the CPM-backed Congress rebels, who are contesting under the banner of the Bank Protection Committee. The Congress panel has accused the rebels of causing disturbances at the polling station.
Chevayur bank is one of the few such institutions in Kozhikode that are still under Congress' control. Reports indicate that the factional struggle over the bank has been ongoing for some time. The rebels were expelled from the party after opposing Congress leader MK Raghavan during the Lok Sabha elections. Subsequently, the rebels decided to stand against the official panel with the backing of the CPM.
Meanwhile, voters have come forward with allegations of fraudulent voting, accusing the current administration of orchestrating the malpractice.