Palakkad Assembly bypolls: Voting rescheduled to November 20
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Thiruvananthapuram: The voting date for the Palakkad Assembly constituency by-election in Kerala has been changed from November 13 to November 20. This decision was made after various political parties requested a change, according to an official announcement.
However, the voting dates for the Wayanad Lok Sabha and Chelakkara Assembly constituencies remain the same, with elections scheduled for November 13.
The main reason for moving the Palakkad election date is the annual 'Ratholsavam' (chariot festival) at Sree Viswanatha Swamy Temple in Kalpathi, which is part of the Palakkad constituency. The festival started on November 1 and will culminate with the main event on November 13.
When the Election Commission of India announced the original dates, several parties raised concerns and requested the change. Kerala Local Self Government Minister M.B. Rajesh, who is managing the CPI-M candidate's campaign, stated that his party also asked for the date change.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan mentioned that the Congress party was the first to request a new date, saying, "We asked for the change because thousands of people are expected to attend the festival on November 13. We welcome the new date."
A resident near the temple expressed relief at the date change, noting that if it hadn't happened, around 8,000 votes might not have been cast. "We're glad we can now participate in the election," he said.
The by-elections for Palakkad and Chelakkara are necessary because the previous legislators, Shafi Paramabil (Congress) and K. Radhakrishnan (CPI-M), vacated their seats after winning in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP is optimistic about Palakkad, where their candidate, 'Metro Man' E. Sreedharan, nearly defeated Paramabil in the 2021 Assembly polls, losing by less than 4,000 votes.
The Congress has nominated Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkootathil, while the BJP has chosen Krishnakumar. The CPI-M has fielded P. Sarin, a former Congress member and medical doctor, as its candidate. Sarin left the Congress after not receiving a nomination.
With IANS inputs