Palakkad: District Collector S Chithra said that there is no likelihood of law and order issues arising from the by-election in the Palakkad assembly constituency, which coincides with the famous Kalpathy Ratholsavam (chariot festival). She made these comments in an interview with Mathrubhumi News on Tuesday.

A report regarding the clash of date between the chariot festival and the by-election has been submitted to the Election Commission of India. The decision on whether to postpone the election rests with the Commission, she said. As of now, the district is preparing for the election scheduled on November 13. To facilitate security arrangements for the election, additional police personnel will be deployed in Palakkad.

Previously, both Congress and BJP had called for the election date to be postponed due to clash with the Kalpathy Ratholsavam. The popular festival in central Kerala begins on November 13, which they argued would create difficulties for the people of Palakkad. BJP State President K. Surendran submitted a letter to the Election Commission of India requesting the election be rescheduled to November 20.

DCC President A. Thankappan also urged the Election Commission to find a date before or after the Ratholsavam. Apart from this, MP Shafi Parambil also expressed his intention to approach the Election Commission to demand postponement of the election.

Currently, the byelection is set to be held in three constituencies in Kerala—two assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha constituency—on November 13, coinciding with the commencement of the famous Kalpathy Ratholsavam.