It has become certain that the reverberations of the Assembly poll debacle are bound to hit the UDF also in one way or the other. Finance Minister and Kerala Congress supremo K M Mani has expressed deep concern over the defeat of the Congress in the Assembly polls and felt that it should be an eye-opener to the leadership.
‘’When Indira Gandhi was there, she was keen to touch upon the hearts and imagination of the people,’’ Mani told ‘Express,’ in an indirect reference to the loss of appeal of the Sonia-Rahul Gandhi-led Congress leadership.
Observing that the present Congress leadership should have been handling people’s issues more carefully, Mani said that the way the Congress Government at the Centre and in various states are conducting themselves needs much improvement.
“A political party should reform itself according to the need of the times and see to it that people’s aspirations are fulfilled,’’ Mani told ‘Express.’ He also said that the UDF should commit towards a mission of strengthening the front. “We are heading for a political war at the hustings. All should work in tandem to realise a good score,’’ he felt. ‘’There is no point in simply holding meetings of the UDF again and again without any tangible results,’’ the Finance Minister added.
“The UDF should lay stress on charting effective and consistent campaigns to take many of the important programmes to the people. Propaganda is very important,’’ he said. Mani’s measured and targetted comments came a day after the instant reaction of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leadership.
IUML leaders E T Mohammed Basheer MP and Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty asked the Congress on Sunday to learn lessons from the people’s verdict and make corrective measures or else face a likely drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls also.
Mani felt that it’s high time that the Congress-led UPA Government performed in a manner which would help win back the faith of the people.
“It is clear that the people had given their verdict against the shortcomings of the Congress governments. Those who had been in power should own up the responsibility for the defeat,’’ Mani said.
With the IUML and KC(M), the second and third largest parties respectively in the UDF, raising criticism against Big-B Congress, primarily out of their concerns about the fast-nearing Lok Sabha polls, minor partners are also bound to heighten the pitch out of sheer desperation.