THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After having taken up the Sabarimala issue, the BJP is now aiming to tap into the ‘opportunity’ presented by the recent controversy over the lapses in waste management by the corporation, following the Attukal Pongala festival.
While the CPM organised a cleaning drive in the city on Sunday, BJP Thiruvananthapuram city district president Karamana Jayan said the CPM is talking nonsense out of despair after losing power in the corporation.
Though the cleaning controversy does not seem set for an immediate closure, party sources said no discussions were held to make it part of an official election campaign.
“This conspiracy to destroy Attukal Pongala is an extension of the conspiracy against Sabarimala, to undermine its dignity,” Jayan said, drawing parallels to the BJP’s claims about the CPM’s take on Sabarimala.
Alleging that the drinking water crisis witnessed in some areas of the state capital ahead of the festival was orchestrated by the government to create challenges for devotees, he said no lapses occurred on the part of the corporation. However, no acute water shortage was reported on the Pongala day in the city.
“After Attukal Pongala, the waste was moved to Eanchakkal and Cheruvakkal. It had been so in the previous years, and this time, the same plan was approved in a meeting attended by Minister V Sivankutty and the district collector,” Jayan said.
Earlier, General Education Minister V Sivankutty and the CPM district secretary A A Rahim had cited lapses from the part of the corporation in the cleaning of the waste connected to Attukal Pongala held on March 3.
Interested to contest in T’Puram, says Karamana Jayan
Amid speculation of being the frontrunner to be the BJP candidate in Thiruvananthapuram, Karamana Jayan has said that he is indeed interested in contesting from the constituency in the upcoming assembly polls. “I have not directly expressed my interest to the party, but if the party asks me to contest, I wish to be fielded here,” Jayan said in a statement.
He added that he would be happy to represent the constituency hosting the Sree Padmanabhaswami temple. However, Jayan noted that the final decision will be taken by the party’s central committee. Notably, the names of Karamana Jayan, businessman Chenkal S Rajasekharan Nair, and actor Krishnakumar were actively considered for the constituency, where LDF’s Antony Raju had prevailed in the last election.