In Kerala, Youth League member dead after clash with CPI(M) workers on election day

A 22-year-old Youth League activist succumbed to his injuries after he was grievously hurt in a clash with the CPI(M) workers after polling concluded in Kerala on Tuesday. Mansur suffered injuries to his left after clashes broke out between IUML and CPI(M) workers in the Koothuparamba constituency following which he was rushed to a private hospital in Kozhikode where he passed away in the early hours of Wednesday. The clash between the two groups broke out after polling concluded at 8 pm on Tuesday over allegations of bogus voting, sources informed. 

The Youth League is the youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally of the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Mansur's brother - a UDF poll agent - was also injured in the clash, police said. The IUML has alleged that a group of CPI(M) workers had hurled bombs at them before attacking the two with sharp weapons. The Koothuparamba assembly constituency in the northern Kerala district of Kannur witnessed a fierce contest between K P Mohanan of the Lok Janatantrik Dal, a partner of the ruling CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Pottankandy Abdullah of the IUML.

Clashes between BJP, CPI (M) workers 

While polling was underway in Kerala, the capital Thiruvanathapuram witnessed clashes between the workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday afternoon. As per the saffron party, the CPI(M) workers allegedly attacked one of its agents in the Kattayikonam area of rural Thiruvanathapuram. While the BJP headed by Sobha Surendran staged a protest over the incident, the Communist Party, on the other hand, claimed that the BJP cadre attacked one of its workers travelling in a car. While speaking to news agency ANI, the LDF strongly opposed the allegations levelled by the BJP saying that it was an attempt to stall votes in the area. Devaswom Minister and Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate of Kazhakootam, Kadakampally Surendran also alleged that the police had acted unjustly by taking local people into custody, which it suspected were members of the CPI(M) cadre.

Polling was held across 140 assembly constituencies in Kerala at 40,771 polling stations to seal the fate of 957 candidates. The state is witnessing a three-cornered fight between the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). This year, Kerala recorded a 73.58 per cent voter turnout as polls drew to a close at 7 pm in the state, as per the Election Commission. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.