Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): With hardly two months left for the Assembly elections in Kerala, the battlefield is set in the state. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda has reached Kerala to formulate strategies for the party's election campaign in the only Left-ruled State in the country.
Nadda was received by BJP party men at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport. Nadda's visit is mainly aimed at candidate selection and forming the election committee for the party, besides strategising the campaign.
Fielding popular candidates from the mainstream of the society to the seats BJP aspires to win in Kerala will also be discussed. Nadda, who participated in the core committee meeting at Thiruvananthapuram, is to take part in a public meeting at Thrissur on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the 'Aishwarya Kerala Yatra', an election tour across Kerala led by Opposition leader and Congressman Ramesh Chennithala continued in Wayanad district of the state. Chennithala tried to rake up the Sabarimala issue today as well, and indicated that the believers' rights will be protected if Congrees is elected to power in Kerala.
In a press meet at Wayanad, on Wednesday morning, Chennithala raised the issue of women's entry at Sabarimala yet again. Chennithala seems to have paused his constant allegations and criticism against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. Instead, the Congress seems to be reminding people of Sabarimala and raking it up as a major poll plank during its campaign.
Nevertheless, the BJP is not ready to easily let go of the Sabarimala issue.
Read: Confidence v confusion: LDF to campaign on achievements, UDF on Sabarimala
In response to Ramesh Chennithala's claim that Congress will bring a legislation in the Sabarimala issue, BJP leader Kummanam Rajashekaran said the Congress has not done anything towards formulating a law in the matter. Kummanam said the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) are playing hand in hand over the issue. The BJP feels that the Congress is trying to hijack its key poll plank in Kerala.
On reaching Kerala, Nadda attempted to lash out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Speaking at Thiruvananthapuram, he said that the Kerala state government has failed in fighting the COVID pandemic and alleged that Vijayan is attacking the Indian Constitution. Nadda said that the Congress had stabbed the Ayyappa devotees in their backs.
The CPI(M) meanwhile, did not respond to any such allegations by the Congress and the BJP today.
Instead, the first round of discussions, regarding candidate selection and other election matters, was on during the CPI(M) State Committee meeting at Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. The CPI(M) State Committee has decided not to field candidates who have consecutively contested for the Left twice. Also, the State Committee has agreed upon not fielding candidates who had contested in the previous Lok Sabha elections for the upcoming Assembly polls.
However, if victory is to be the scale for candidate selection, the same faces which had contested twice consecutively for the Left are sure to be fielded by the Left front this time as well.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction, which had fallen foul in the name of Pala seat allotment had met up with their party's national president Sharad Pawar. After discussions with the party supremo and leaders from Kerala, NCP national leader Praful Patel stated that the NCP would continue with the LDF in Kerala. However, the NCP national leadership's final stand on the controversial Pala seat allotment is yet to be known.
Read: BJP's Nadda says LDF and UDF two sides of same coin
At the same time, Indian Union of Muslim League (IUML) leader P K Kunjalikutty has resigned from his position as an MP to return to State politics and strengthen the UDF, prior to the State elections. He is to contest the Assembly elections as per the IUML decision.
M Sivashankar, the Chief Minister's former principal secretary, was released from jail as he was granted bail in all cases alleging his involvement in gold smuggling through diplomatic baggage channel and in dollar smuggling on Wednesday. In response to the above development, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that Sivashankar's bail is based on an 'understanding' between the CPI(M) and the BJP.
Even as the Opposition's allegations on the Public Service Commission (PSC) appointment scam and other cases gained momentum, the State Cabinet decided to extend the validity period of the PSC rank lists by six months, on Wednesday. Equally important was the State Cabinet's decision to include the Nadar community under the Other Backward Castes (OBC) section. With this, the reservation benefits which were earlier applicable only to the Hindu-Nadars would now be beneficial for the Christian Nadars under different Christian Churches also.
The Cabinet approved the Pay Revision Commission's recommendations and has decided to forward the same to an expert sub-committee for further study. The Commission report is also to be implemented soon.
With the State elections around the corner, the State Cabinet's decisions on OBC reservations, pay revision and PSC rank list extension are all expected to work in favour of the Government and the LDF.
Read: Suspended IAS officer M Sivasankar gets bail in dollar smuggling case
