Poll eve dramas: Food kits seized at Wayanad

CPI(M), Congress top leaders accuse each other of exploring BJP entry.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala witnessed high drama on the eve of the polling to all the 20 Lok Sabha seats.

While two senior leaders of the Congress and the CPI(M) from Kannur accused each other of exploring options of joining the BJP, at Wayanad, where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is in the fray, nearly 2,000 food kits were seized by the election officials and police, triggering allegation that BJP was trying to influence voters by supplying kits.

CPI(M) senior leader and Left Democratic Front (LDF) convenor E P Jayarajan faced allegations of exploring the option of joining the BJP. Kerala PCC president K Sudhakaran fired the first salvo as a counter to the allegations by CPI(M) camps that Sudhakaran would join the BJP soon. 

Sudhakaran said that the BJP even offered the Governor post to Jayarajan. The discussions were held in Gulf countries with union minister of state Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Kerala BJP leader Sobha Surendran. But Jayarajan backtraced as he feared threats from the CPI(M), he said.

Even as Jayarajan denied the allegations, Sobha, who is BJP's Alappuzha candidate, confirmed that talks were held with Jayarajan and it almost reached 90 per cent. But Jayarajan backtracked at the last minute owing to fear of retaliation. She also claimed that she was having messages sent from a phone being used by Jayarajan's son.

Meanwhile, around 2,000 provision kits were seized by the election authorities and police at Wayanad, where Congress leader Rahul is in the fray. While around 1,500 kits were seized from a vehicle at Sultan Batherry on Wednesday, nearly 200 kits were seized from a BJP activist's house at Kalpetta on Thursday.

While Congress and left-front alleged that BJP were trying to influence voters by distributing the provision kits, BJP state president K Surendran, who is contesting against Rahul, also denied the allegation. BJP leaders said that the kits were meant for distribution to the tribal families in connection with the recent Vishu festival.