Amit Shah terms Kerala govt a centre of corruption

Union Minister Amit Shah lashed out at Kerala state government stating that it has become a centre of corruption. He also said that the government should not interfere in matters concerning temples and it should be left to devotees to handle.

Thiruvananthapuram: With the Assembly elections scheduled hardly two weeks from now in the State, Union Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah reached to give a boost to the BJP’s campaigns in Kerala, on Wednesday. Dropping the Thalassery campaign programme which was the first as per schedule, Amit Shah reached Thripoonithara first. Later, addressing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) campaign in Kollam, Shah lashed out at the State Government.

Demanding that the Government should not interfere in matters concerning temples, Sha said such matters should be left to be handled by the devotees. After directly criticising Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Amit Shah alleged that Kerala has become the centre of corruption.

Amit Shah had dropped the campaign programme at Thalassery after the BJP candidate’s nomination at the Thalassery seat was rejected by the electoral officer last week. As the BJP leaders have taken up the poll plank of Sabarimala throughout their campaigns in Kerala, Congress and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala have started intensifying allegations on bogus votes. Stating that the issue of bogus votes is of grave nature, Chennithala said that he would move the Court if the Election Commission does not initiate the necessary actions. He said that he would take a decision on the matter after discussing it with legal experts.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has come up with an explanation that the same voter names are reflected more than once in the lists because the voters have been applying more than once on the computer.

The Election Commission has decided to thoroughly scrutinise the voters’ list in all 140 constituencies. But, with hardly 2 weeks left for the elections, it is yet to be known how far the Commission would succeed in identifying and removing all bogus voters from the list within a short time.

While the UDF makes bogus votes as a poll weapon against the ruling LDF, the LDF maintains that it is a blip on the part of the election commission and the election officers. The confusions with regard to the votes in the three constituencies without BJP candidates still continue. Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala’s stand is that he would not say that they do not want the BJP votes.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Health Minister KK Shailaja hit back at the NSS for the allegations it makes on the issues, including Sabarimala. KK Shailaja said the NSS directly interferes in politics.

The NSS’s alleges that the Government did not approve of its stands on various matters including, Mannam Jayanthi, Sabarimala women entry and forward caste reservations. When the opposition parties chose to pick Sabarimala as the major poll plank yet again for the Assembly elections, the NDA’s election manifesto which was released on Wednesday is also full of promises on laws to protect Sabarimala.

Besides a law to protect the customs in Sabarimala, the NDA has also promised a law against the alleged ‘love jihad’. The BJP manifesto promises a job for one person from every family, social welfare pension of Rs 3500, 6 free LPG cylinders for all BPL families per year and free laptops for high school students among others.

Kerala is to witness a tough political battle ahead as all the three major political fronts in the State have set out seeking votes after releasing their poll manifestos for the Assembly elections in April.