Kerala Assembly elections 2021: Opposition up in arms against the LDF government

State Cabinet on Friday decided to initiate a judicial probe against the various Central agencies that are investigating many cases in Kerala. The cabinet which met on Friday decided to appoint retired Judge K V Mohanan as the head of the Commission.

Thiruvananthapuram: It is pretty usual for the Opposition parties to engage in debates and criticisms against the ruling government at the time of elections. But this time, besides the opposition parties, the conflict has become head-on between the State Government and the Central Agencies, in Kerala.

Left leaders including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had strongly criticised the Income Tax raid at the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. This was followed by Thomas Isaac’s open remarks against the alleged conspiracy in the moves by the Central Agencies. With these, it is clear that the Communist Party Marxist (CPM) has resorted to openly criticising the Income Tax Department.

Thomas Isaac alleged that the raid conducted at the KIIFB was an act done for their ‘lords in Delhi’. The investigation was regarding the tax on the money allotted to those who fetch the tenders. However, as per the KIIFB act, the KIIFB has no agreements or contracts with the contractors, said Minister Isaac. Minister termed that the Income Tax Department’s raid as hooliganism and nonsense. Thomas Issac added that he expects Enforcement Directorate’s arrival before the Easter holidays again.

Amid these, the State Cabinet on Friday decided to initiate a judicial probe against the various Central agencies that are investigating many cases in Kerala. The cabinet which met on Friday decided to appoint retired Judge K V Mohanan as the head of the Commission.

As the model code of conduct exists, the appointment of the judicial commission required a nod from the Election Commission. The Commission is expected to probe matters including Swapna Suresh’s voice clip, pressure on her to state the Chief Minister's name, and the agencies changing the direction of investigation in dollar and gold smuggling cases.

Meanwhile, the CM has also lashed out against the Central Agencies in public. He said, no threats in the name of KIIFB would scare the Government. Nothing can be done to KIIFB, the CM said.

Union Minister V Muralidharan reacted that the State Government’s decision to initiate a judicial probe against the Central agencies is the biggest wonder of the century. He also said that the State need not think it can browbeat the Central agencies with such moves. With this, the cold war between the Kerala Government and the Central Agencies have become a head-on conflict.

The High Court is to consider the plea submitted by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala on bogus votes, on Monday. The Court has sought an explanation from the Election Commission on the matter.

The petition states that ‘bogus votes’ were a coordinated move by a group of Government officials aiming at political benefits. Chennithala has also sought in the petition to stop the bogus votes. Chennithala alleges that there are more than 4 lakh bogus voters listed in various constituencies in Kerala.

Meanwhile, the documents revealing that present MLA and UDF's Perumbavoor candidate Eldos Kunnappilli and his wife have been listed in the voters’ list twice in two different places has become a set back for the Congress and the UDF, which have been up in arms against the government in the name of bogus voters. Eldos and his wife have votes in Maradi Panchayath in Moovattupuzha and in Rayamangalam Panchayath in Perumbavoor.