Tusker moves towards congress candidate; team had a narrow escape

IDUKKI: A district panchayat candidate and his team had a narrow escape while returning after electioneering in Munnar. Congress candidate C Nelson contesting in Munnar division and his team appeared before the tusker on Thursday night at Nallathanni Kallar. The tusker forced the driver to reverse the jeep carrying them for nearly half a kilometer.

The incident happened when they were returning after campaigning in Puthucaud, and factory divisions and coming towards Munnar via estate road. Driver John Abraham, who knew about the elephant that had been attacking the Kallar waste plant for two days after breaking the protective walls, was reversing the jeep along a narrow path on seeing the elephant. With this, the elephant started running towards the jeep, turning aggressive. After driving for half a kilometer, the jeep stopped because it could not go back due to the snow and darkness. The elephant sniffed around the vehicle with its trunk and walked into a nearby tea plantation. The group continued journey only after the elephant moved away.