The last day of sweltering election campaigns, which ended Sunday night turned out to be a disaster with the death toll in the pre-poll violence rising from 17 to 21.
The police have imposed indefinite curfew in several areas in the Anuradhapura district Sunday night as the violence escalated. The military assistance was also requested to keep the situation under control.

The curfew was imposed after one person was killed and 13 others were critically injured when a grenade exploded during a procession of the ruling PA candidate at Madatugama, Anuradhapura in the country’s North-Central Province. Police said that the supporters of the PA candidate had attacked UNP supporters on the same morning and the grenade explosion could have been in retaliation.
Till Sunday noon 1731 pre-polls violence had been recorded by the police election unit. Among them over 300 poll personnel including some candidates were hospitalized with serious injuries.
The UNP has reported 896 incidents while the pa has recorded 576.
In another incident in the eastern Trincomalee district one PA supporter was killed when they clashed with the UNP supporters at China Bay. In the Puttlam district, which continues to top the list in pre-poll violence, two UNP supporters were killed and six others seriously injured when police opened fire to quell a clash between the PA and UNP supporters.
In a separate incident of poll violence in Kandy late Sunday night at least 17 people were injured when a hand grenade was thrown at the concluding PA campaign in Kandy.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka on Sunday stepped up security for final election rallies, wrapping up five weeks of campaigning that has left at least 16 people dead and hundreds wounded, officials said.
Bureau Report