Thiruvananthapuram: With the Assembly elections around the corner, the political leaders in Kerala are all active and visibly out in the public, speaking at public meetings and press meets in different centres across the State. The words spilt by certain politicians have also been decisive of the victory in elections in Kerala.
A highly casteist, derogatory remark against the State Chief Minister by Congress leader K Sudhakaran, referring to Pinarayi Vijayan as the ‘toddy tapper’s son’ has already drawn much flak. Congress leader MLA Shanimol Usman has publicly expressed her objection to such a remark, putting the Congress party in the defensive.
As Sudhakaran’s caste slur at the CM was criticised by Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, and Congress senior leader Tariq Anwar, Sudhakaran has lost his grounds. The Congress Disciplinary Committee is to look into the matter, said Tariq Anwar.
On Thursday, the state secretary of Communist Party Marxist (CPM), A Vijayaraghavan, in a press meet here, said, Sudhakaran’s statement against the CM is highly malicious and he does not seem to be in senses. The CPM also responded to the issue of women entry to Sabarimala which was being raked up by the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the last few days as their poll plank against the Left. Vijaraghavan said the Congress stand on Sabarimala women entry is a bluff to deceive the people. Formulating legislation pertaining to a case that is being considered by the Apex Court is not possible.
DYFI workers reacted that Sudhakaran’s remark is proof to the sangh parivar mentality of the Congressmen. In response to the queries on the seat allocation for Assembly elections, Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Kanam Rajendran said, the CPI is yet to begin discussions on seat allocation. He said rumours that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is leaving the Left Democratic Front (LDF) are only fabricated by the media.
A major happening on election run-up events today is the change in tenet by P C George, Poonjar MLA and Janapaksham leader. George who had been stating that his party would stand by the UDF in the elections until yesterday changed his stand overnight.
George, in his latest stand, said that he is going to contest without allying with any of the three fronts. He also said that the LDF will win and continue to govern for another term in Kerala and expressed hope that the would win from Poonjar.
Read: BJP giving 'special focus' to Kerala, says Nadda
Meanwhile, P C George declaring support to the protesting Jacobites in the Kerala Church row has irked the Orthodox church. The Orthodox Church alleged that George is playing for his political interests and gains.
The split of the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) party which was formed six years ago is another major political development on Thursday. The faction which split from BDJS, which is with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Kerala, has formed another party by the name Bharathiya Jana Sena (BJS). The BJS leaders have declared their support to the UDF and stated that they are not interested in continuing with the BJP led NDA anymore.
The leaders of BJS informed that the BJP was deceiving Hindus in the Sabarimala issue. The BJS has decided to work with the UDF, they said. However, BDJS leader Tushar Vellappally reacted that the BDJS has not split.
BJP national chief J P Nadda, who is in the State strategising for the BJP to rule Kerala, participated in a party office-bearers meeting at Thrissur on Thursday. BJP is aiming at gaining power in Kerala through the ‘Mission Kerala’. As part of strategizing the tactics for the Assembly elections, Nadda is also to meet communal leaders in Kerala.
The presence of Shobha Surendran, who has been in a cold war with the state leadership, in a BJP stage also gained attention. Shobha Surendran was one of the key politicians who participated in Nadda’s meeting at Thrissur on Thursday.
Former DGP Jacob Thomas has officially taken membership in the BJP on Thursday. The retired IPS officer received the party membership directly from J P Nadda during the Thrissur programme.
Also read: Former Kerala DGP Jacob Thomas who ‘swims with the sharks’ takes BJP membership
