Kozhikode: Crowds surged wherever the star campaigner of the UDF, Mr A K Antony, the Defence Minister, stopped by to say a few words. Two days’ barn-storming in the northern districts has electrified the UDF poll machinery and Mr Antony emerged a perfect foil to Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan.
Mild in criticism and profound in praising voters for standing by the Congress during 2009 elections,Mr Antony put life and soul into electioneering, which had been sadly missing in the election campaigns this time. At Balussery, Mr Antony had to fight for his way to the stage as people surged forth to greet him.
He had no heavy armour and venom-spewing vocabulary. Clad in a rather dirty white khadi shirt and dhoti, Mr Antony slowly but steadily took on the political opposition of Congress and UPA.
“Though a bit tired by continuous road journey since morning, I am revitalized seeing your enthusiasm. You are wonderful, politically educated and analytical. You should uphold secularism and take a vow to end the politics of violence.
“We should ensure that after this Parliament election, not even a drop of blood is shed in the name of politics,” Mr Antony told a large gathering at Balussery, while taking pot shots at BJP and CPM.
Those who gathered at the campaign in the CPM citadel clapped their hands and cheered Mr Antony as he threw taunts at CPM. They competed with each other to videograph him as he talked to voters.
“The people of Kozhikode do not grade anyone so easily. But they have given ‘A’ plus to M K Raghavan. I wonder how he managed to gather so much of support in so little time. But I know he has done so much for the people of Kozhikode and you should return him to LS,” Mr Antony appealed to the voters.
Known for his clinical speech and no-nonsense approach, Mr Antony was ready to play on this time. He sometime mimicked the rhythmic oratorical style of his political opponent, Mr Achuthanandan, and rubbished pre-poll survey results.
The campaign schedule went awry as all meetings were attended by more than the expected crowds and by the time he reached Calicut to end the day’s campaign it was almost three hours behind schedule.
Mr Antony started off the campaign in Wayanad on Monday morning and then reached rural Kozhikode. He traversed Kuttiyadi, Nadapuram, Vadakara, Balussery, Narikuni and Kunnamangalam before winding up in the city.
