Houses of UDF supporters vandalised, Cong offices attacked in Kannur

Kannur: Incidents of post-poll violence continued to be reported in Kannur on Friday, with the residence of a supporter of UDF-backed independent candidate V Kunhikrishnan, expelled from CPM, being vandalized in Payyannur.The house of T Purushothaman at Mahadeva Gramam in Payyannur was attacked in the early hours of the day. Purushothaman said attack began with stone pelting at midnight. Later, the attackers entered the house compound and set the car on fire, he said.Purushothaman is a branch committee member of CPM. He said he hadn't participated in Kunhikrishnan's election campaign but had attended his book releasing event. Kunhikrishnan alleged that people linked to CPM candidate T I Madhusoodhanan were behind the attacks.In a separate incident, CPM activists allegedly vandalized the Congress mandalam committee office at Mayyil.In another instance, a compound wall bearing Kunhikrishnan's election graffiti was demolished in the early hours on Friday. The property owner K P Rekha lodged a police complaint.Within hours after voting concluded on Thursday, Kunhikrishnan's supporters and UDF workers were attacked in Payyannur, a CPM stronghold.In another incident, the house of M V Bhaskaran was attacked. He was the UDF polling agent in Mullakkodi booth in Mayyil panchayat of Taliparamba constituency, where T K Govindan, who was expelled from CPM, contested as independent candidate supported by UDF.Meanwhile, KPCC president Sunny Joseph accused CPM of resorting to violence in Kannur, fearing a setback in the polls. "CPM realises that party's internal issues in Payyannur and Taliparamba would impact assembly polls. Hence, party workers are carrying out violence across the district. Several Congress party offices have been vandalised. CPM leadership should clarify if they support these violent acts," said Joseph. Congress will renovate the vandalised offices with the public's support, he added.