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UDF retains Naduvil bank

KANNUR: In an election held amidst tight police security following High Court’s directive to hold a free and fair polling, the United Democratic Front (UDF) retained the director board of the Naduvil Service Cooperative Bank, near Taliparamba, here on Sunday, with the CPI(M)-led front boycotting the election accusing the UDF of launching misinformation campaign against the party.

The UDF nominees who contested in the election to the director board of the bank secured over 2,550 of the total 2,704 votes polled in the election held at the Naduvil High School at Naduvil from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The police and civil authorities heaved a sigh of relief as the polling passed off peacefully, though there was an air of concern and apprehension about the law and order problems during the polling in the wake of the allegations of the UDF here that the CPI(M) was trying to capture the bank director board through unfair means.

The district administration was also put on alert as the High Court had directed the District Collector’s ‘personal superintendence’ to ensure that there was no unlawful incident during the election. Tight security arrangements were made at the polling station.

The UDF’s announcement that it would resist any move by the CPI(M) to use ‘unfair’ means to capture the bank only intensified the tense mood at Naduvil. The UDF leaders, including Congress leaders K. Sudhakaran, MLA, and K.C. Joseph, MLA, had been camping at Naduvil since last night.

Mr. Joseph said the High Court directive to the Collector to conduct the polling in a free and fair manner safeguarded democracy in the election. It led to coordination in holding the election in an incident-free atmosphere unlike in the past when the police had always ‘washed their hands off’ saying that their duty was to ensure law and order, he said. The district administration took steps to verify the identity of voters using Form 6B register of the bank, he added.

Additional District Magistrate K.V. Abdulla camped at Naduvil to hold the election as directed by the High Court.

The CPI(M) had announced its decision to boycott the poll on Saturday evening. Party Alakkode area secretary M. Karunakaran said the LDF was boycotting the election in protest against the false campaign against the party.

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