THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to strike hard against both the CPM-led LDF Government in the state and the BJP-ruled government at the Centre, the Opposition UDF has drafted Ramesh Chennithala to undertake a month-long state march to expose the various anti-people policies and fascist political lines of the two dispensations. Chennithala will tour the state from November 1 to December 1. In between and before the Vengara Assembly segment bypoll slated for October 11, the UDF will observe a day-and-night stir on October 5 in front of the Secretariat and district collectorates on the same issues.
The UDF liaison committee meet which was held here on Thursday, though focused on the upcoming Vengara poll, keenly charted an agitation course as it was felt that people have been left in dire straits on various issues. The soaring price of petrol and diesel even when the international rates are declining, the rising cost of essential commodities even after the festival season and the advent of the GST regime, the liquor policy, self-financing education sector chaos and the utter failure of the state’s health sector were marked as thrust areas for the campaign. Intolerance driven by communal and fascist forces on the one hand and political violence perpetuated by the ruling party have also been listed.
UDF on top gear for Vengara bypoll
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala told mediapersons that the UDF was going on top gear for the Vengara bypoll, necessitated by the resignation of IUML national secretary P K Kunhalikutty, who was elected later to the Lok Sabha from the Malappuram segment. The candidate will be announced by the IUML leadership on September 19 or 20.
The Niyojakamandalam convention will be held on Wednesday, followed by panchayat and booth-level conventions on September 22 and 23 respectively. “The poll verdict will be a referendum on the performance of the state and Central Governments. The UDF will lift the victory margin higher than what was posted in the last Assembly polls,’’ he said.Syed Saadiq Ali Shihab Thangal attended the UDF meet for the first time and requested the support of all for a great victory in Vengara.
The UDF meet viewed the soft line adopted by the Pinarayi Vijayan Government towards Hindutva forces despite consistent attempts to spread animosity and hatred between communities. ‘’The CPM and the Left are paying only lip service for minorities,’’ Ramesh said.
“The Centre and the state government in tandem, found burdening the people by slapping hefty taxes, came in for sharp criticism.’ The matter is going to be taken up by the Congress at the national level itself, in a few days. The UDF Government had forgone Rs 619 crore by way of additional sales tax on petrol and diesel, but the Left Government had never shown such a gesture to lessen the burden of people,’’ the meet noted. It was also felt that GST had not provided any succor to Kerala despite tall claims of Finance Minister Thomas Issac. ‘’He is the foremost protagonist of GST, much more than Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley,’’ the Opposition leader said.
The UDF meet constituted a sub-committee headed by V D Satheesan MLA to apprise and come up with adequate counter reactions on various topics, which crop up from time to time owing to the policies of the Centre and state governments. Ramesh said the meet felt the state government has cheated the people on the issues of Kovalam palace, backwaters encroachment by Minister Thomas Chandy and violation of rules in P V Anwar MLA’s water theme park.