Kannur: Political drama unfolded in Kannur's Pilathara in Kerala on Friday during the final hours of campaigning. Asianet News reporters were attacked by the CPI(M) workers, while the reporters were shooting the speech of UDF candidate Rajmohan Unnithan. Meanwhile, the angry party workers entered the stage where the UDF candidate was giving a speech and detached the microphone of the leader and threw it away.

Asianet reporter Mujeeb Rahman was brutally beaten up and the camera person Sunil Kumar, who tried to shoot the incident, was also thrashed by the workers. The incident occurred at around 5.30 pm. According to sources, the UDF candidate Unnithan and the LDF candidate MV Jayarajan were speaking at nearby places in Pilathara. 

Meanwhile, Unnithan said CPI(M) workers brutally beat him up. He was later shifted to the Priyadarshini hospital in Payyanur.

On Friday, the Election Commission had ordered repolling in three more booths in Kannur and Kasaragod constituencies of Kerala. The new order states that repolling will be conducted in booth number 52 and 53 at Dharmadam in Kannur constituency and booth number 48 at Thrikkaripur in Kasaragod constituency.  Voting will take place on May 19 between 7 am and 6 pm.

On Thursday, the Election Commission ordered repolling in four booths in Kasaragod and Kannur districts of Kerala. The Election Commission has instructed the Kasaragod and Kannur collectors to prepare for repolling. Voting in the four booths too will take place on Sunday. These include three booths from Kasaragod district and one booth from Kannur district.

Repolling will be conducted in booth number 19 at Pilathara-Kalliasery, booth number 69 at Puthiyangadi Jamath High School (north block) and booth number 70 at Jamath High School (south block), in Kasaragod district, and booth number 166 at Thalliparambu in Kannur district.

The Election Commission took the decision to conduct repolling following allegations of bogus voting on April 23. According to reports, campaigning for the election is banned after Friday evening.