House of LDF member attacked after UDF vote in Vadakara

Kozhikode: The house of an LDF block panchayat member who voted for UDF in the Vadakara block panchayat president election on Saturday was attacked in the early hours of Sunday.Unidentified people allegedly pelted stones at the residence of Rajani Thekkethayyil, an RJD member, at Puthiyottum Thazhakuni near Azhiyur, shattering two window panes. A steel bomb was also found placed on the doormat outside the front door, police said. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) suspended Rajani from the party for six months for voting in favour of UDF, though she has maintained that it was an inadvertent error. Rajani said she realised the mistake immediately after casting her vote and requested the returning officer to allow her to correct it, but the request was denied. She has since lodged complaints with the district collector and the State Election Commission.The incident has triggered protests within LDF. Following her vote for UDF in the panchayat president election, the RJD nominee for the vice-president post was replaced with a CPM candidate.Rajani's vote helped UDF–RMP Janakeeya Munnani secure the block panchayat president post in the evenly divided council, where both UDF and LDF have eight members each. However, she voted for LDF in the vice-president election, in which the LDF candidate eventually won through a draw of lots.Chombala police have registered a case against unidentified persons under Sections 324(2), 324(6) and 329(4) of BNS, along with Section 5 of the Explosive Substances Act.