CPM cautions cadre on polls

Thiruvananthapuram: With just three days left for polling in the high stakes electoral battle, the CPM leadership has cautioned its workers and leaders about provocative actions from the opposition camp. The CPM leaders are of the view that the ground situation in the state is favourable for the LDF and there could be attempts from the rivals to create trouble.

“We have asked our workers to be extra cautious. We suspect that rivals could create trouble to spoil our chances in the polls. They have nothing to lose," said CPM state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. He said even candidates have been asked to be vigilant about such attempts.

The CPM leadership fears stage managed attacks on the eve of the polls. “Once you react or respond, the rivals would get an opportunity to brand the party as pro-violence and mislead the voters.” CPM leadership also fears that the Sangh Parivar outfits might engineer violence on the eve of polls to show the LDF in bad light. Since the BJP-BDJS combine is desperate to open account in the state, they would resort to all means, it alleged.

There have been instances of posters and flex boards of CPM candidates being burnt or torn in some constituencies. Such incidents were reported from Pinarayi Vijayan's constituency Dharmadom and V Sivankutty's constituency in Nemom. Pinarayi had accused the BJP of burning down his flex boards.

The BJP on the other hand, says the CPM is feeling jittery over the manner in which NDA has made inroads into the Left strongholds in various parts of the state. 

According to party leaders, the statements being made by the CPM cautioning their cadre about possible violence was like taking anticipatory bail for the violence they are going to resort to in the coming days.