THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the public campaigning for the assembly election came to a close, one of the CM contenders of the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi’s trusted lieutenant K C Venugopal said that if UDF comes to power, the government would be formed within a week after the results are declared. Expressing confidence in UDF’s victory, he said at a press conference that in this assembly election people would vote against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s arrogance, contempt and audacity.
Launching a scathing attack on Pinarayi, Venugopal demanded that the CM should comment on the suicide of a farmer in Vaikom. “This is a government which is driving farmers to suicide. Paddy procurement has been derailed. Why is this government so hostile towards the farmers?” he asked.
While the LDF government could only build five lakh houses during its ten-year rule, the previous Oommen Chandy government had built 4.45 lakh houses during its five-year governance. “This reveals CPM’s opportunistic politics,” he said.
He termed the Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society as the epicentre of corruption and said that if the UDF forms the next government, one of its first decisions would be to start an inquiry into the contracts awarded to the society without following tender procedures.
“In the history of the state, this is the only government which has committed so much corruption. Uralungal is to Pinarayi what Adani is to Modi. The CPM is running a campaign focused on a single leader. The campaign slogan ‘Who else other than Pinarayi to rule’ defies common sense of people.
Venugopal alleged that the deal between BJP and CPM was struck after Pinarayi’s one-to-one meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter’s residence in New Delhi. “He should also reveal why he arranged a breakfast feast for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman. He also held meetings with Nitin Gadkari. Is the adjournment of the SNC- Lavalin case a reward for the deal?” he asked.