Widespread clashes marked the third and final phase of elections to local bodies in Kerala on Monday.
With the counting scheduled for Wednesday, all the major political party leaders are expressing confidence of a positive outcome for themselves.
Since the Assembly polls are hardly five months away, the local body polls are considered as a trendsetter. Polling was held to 21,865 wards in 1,199 local bodies in the three-phase polls.
As the local body election happened amid a series of allegations against the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), especially with regard to nexus with gold smuggling accused, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the election outcome would prove that the people were rejecting the series of lies being spread against his government.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front is expecting a cakewalk in the local body polls as well as the ensuing Assembly polls taking advantage of anti-incumbency factor against the government. Kerala PCC president Mullappally Ramachandran said that people would vote against the opportunistic politics of Pinarayi Vijayan government.
BJP state president K Surendran said that the people's resentment towards the Congress and CPM-led fronts ruling the state in recent years would reflect in favour of the BJP-led NDA in the polls.
The last phase of polling held at Kasargod, Kannur, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts witnessed clashes between political activists at various places. At Nadapuram in Kannur, the police were forced to use grenades to disperse mobs. Some police personnel were injured.
CPM and Welfare Party activists clashed in the district causing minor injuries to some activists. Country bombs were also recovered from some parts of Kannur. Alleged attempts to cast bogus votes were also reported.
The polling was over 78% till evening. But at many polling booths, the polling extended for several hours after 6 pm.