No posters, no flags: Mullur village in Kerala leads the way in clean election campaigning

Thrissur, Kerala: Amid the frenzy of local body elections in Kerala, Mullur village in Thrissur district stands out for its peaceful and orderly campaigning.

The locals have adhered to a collective decision from the previous election to avoid displaying party posters, symbols, or flags on public property, including roads and electric poles.

While a few isolated flags and boards remain along the roadside, candidates K. Praveen (CPM), A. Satheesan (Congress), and Soumya Gopinathan (BJP) have assured that these will be removed promptly, maintaining the village’s commitment to a clean and respectful campaign environment.

From the Amala Hospital stop through Chittilapally, election messages are visible on roads and posts, but once the route reaches Mullur, which falls under ward 9 of the Tholur panchayat, the campaign material disappears. The village resolved to keep public spaces clean after police intervened to settle a dispute during the previous election campaign.

Mullur ward has been held by the LDF for the last two terms, after previously being with the UDF. The BJP finished second in the last election.

With fewer than 400 houses in the village, campaign squads and door-to-door interactions have replaced poster rallies as the primary mode of outreach.