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Plea to deploy forces in Kannur during polls

Special Correspondent

Mahila Congress apprehensive of attack on its supporters

KOZHIKODE: All India Mahila Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Tuesday appealed to the Election Commission to ensure deployment of security forces in Kannur district for the forthcoming elections to the State Assembly.

Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, Ms. Bahuguna said women voters in Kannur, especially supporters of the Congress, were apprehensive that they would be targeted for attacks during electioneering by political rivals. Therefore, the Election Commission should order the deployment of security forces to ensure free and fair polls. The party workers she met during her visit to Kannur to attend a programme of the Mahila Congress, women's wing of the Congress, on Monday had convinced her there was strong possibility of political violence during electioneering.

The Mahila Congress leader said that on her return to Delhi, she would write to the Election Commission seeking special security during Assembly polls in Kannur.

She had also told members of the Kerala Mahila Congress in Kannur to organise booth-level committees in the district to protect their right to political activity during elections. This had helped to counter threats of violence from terrorist outfits during elections in Kashmir.

"I was shocked to find so many people had been maimed in the political violence in Kannur," she said.

Ms. Bahuguna, daughter of the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister the late H.N. Bahuguna and a former Mayor of Allahabad, was in Kannur to attend a programme organised in connection with the Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram march of the State Mahila Congress.

Ms. Bahuguna said the Kerala unit of the Mahila Congress had become active in the past one year after remaining passive for years together. "It is because of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ramesh Chennithala. He encourages the activities of the Mahila Congress. Mr. K. Muraleedharan never cared for the women's wing," she said.

The Mahila Congress leader admitted that her organisation had a lot of ground to cover in Kerala. Though the State had a high level of women's literacy, it also recorded high rates of violence against women, female foeticide and unemployment and suicides among women.

The Mahila Congress national president said though the CPI(M) and the Congress had an understanding at the Centre, the two parties continued to be political rivals in the State. "The CPI(M) has not improved the lot of women in West Bengal despite being in power for decades. So it is imperative that in the interests of women in Kerala, the Congress wins again in the State," Ms. Bahuguna said.

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