A clash erupted between the workers of the Left Democratic Front and United Democratic Front during a roadshow in Wandoor in Kerala's Malappuram on Wednesday.
Malappuram Constituency in Kerala is one of the state’s 20 Lok Sabha seats. The date of voting for the Malappuram seat is April 26 (Phase 2), as announced by the Election Commission of India in March. The counting and results announcement date is June 4. As far as the candidates from the seat are concerned, Dr. Abdul Salam from the Bharatiya Janata Party, VA Vaseef from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and ET Mohammad Bashir from the Indian Union Muslim League are the prominent candidates.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, LDF MLA P V Anwar sparked a row by saying that the DNA of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should be examined. During an election meeting, the businessman-turned MLA said the the leader of the grand old party become a fourth-grade citizen who did not deserve to be called by the surname of Gandhi.
Irked over Gandhi's recent remarks against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Anwar asked how a person hailing from the Nehru family could make such statements. "My opinion is that Rahul Gandhi's DNA should be examined. There is no dispute in it," Anwar said at a meeting organised by the LDF local committee at Edathanattukara, as quoted by PTI.
Rahul Gandhi, during his recent election campaigns in the state, had sought to know why Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was exempted from being interrogated and arrested by central agencies, though several allegations had cropped up against the Left veteran.
The former Congress chief has faced sharp criticism from the Left leaders for his statements against Vijayan and the Left leaders opined that he should criticise PM Modi and the RSS instead of Vijayan. When seeking his reaction to Anwar's objectionable remarks against Gandhi, Vijayan on Tuesday justified the LDF MLA and said the Congress leader was not a person beyond criticism.