Pondicherry: The third and final phase of civic polls covering the four commune panchayats of Ariyankuppam, Bahoor, Mannadipet and Nettapakkam (all in Pondicherry region) will be held on July 1. Leaders of various political parties and also candidates contesting the elections intensified their campaign on Thursday.

The whole campaign came to an end at 5 p.m. on Thursday, which was the statutory deadline for the contestants to wrap up their programme.

One could see the Pattali Makkal Katchi legislator R.K.R. Anandharaman accompanying the candidates contesting the Ariyankuupam commune panchayat poll in various wards in it making fervent appeal to the voters to extend their support to the party nominees in councillor polls.

They also canvassed votes for those contesting on non party basis and enjoying the support of the PMK. Industries Minister V. Vaithilingam went through several wards in Nettapakkam commune panchayat limits wooing voters' support for the DPA candidates.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader T. Murugan made out strong case for the voters to support the party sponsored candidate Vijayamoorthy in the councilor ward in Karikalambakkam and also the party supported nominee Malarvizhi in the village panchayat president election. CPI (Marxist) goes it alone in the civic polls here.

V. Mani alias Thiagarajan and D. Balaraman are contesting the councillor and village panchayat president poll respectively. These candidates enjoyed support of the DPA.

The slogan-shouting villagers walking behind the candidates also carried placards and the whole Karikalambakkam village gave a festive look on the closing day of poll campaign on Thursday.

Leaders of the Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) held a door-to-door campaign in Abishegapakkam village in the Ariyankuppam commune panchayat limits.

Most of the candidates promised the voters that they would endeavour to ameliorate their lot and also establish infrastructural facilities if elected to the panchayats.

A majority of villagers were seeing the civic polls after a gap of 38 years and this was also the first time that they would cast votes for the village panchayat presidents and village ward members. The campaign was on top gear and parties raced against time on the last day of the campaign.

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