THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister and CPM Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan said the Left Front will try and defeat Rahul Gandhi in the electoral hustings at Wayanad for which the AICC president has announced his candidature. Vijayan said Rahul ought to have fought from a constituency where the BJP was strong and not from Wayanad.
This, he alleged, would send a wrong message across the nation. He was speaking at the meet the Press programme - ‘Janayatham’ organised by the Thiruvananthapuram Press club.
The CPM senior leader said Rahul Gandhi can win the Amethi seat as there are less possibilities of a BJP victory considering the SP, BSP alliance.
Pinarayi Vijayan said the Left will strive for a secular government with alternative policies as both the Congress and the BJP follow similar economic policies.
The Kerala Chief Minister said the country is going through a very bad phase ever since Narendra Modi government came to power and added that moves have taken place to undermine even the constitution. He said such a situation would lead to questioning the very existence of the state of India and added secularism, democracy, parliamentary democracy, unity and diversity of the country will all be destroyed if one more term is given to Narendra Modi and the BJP.
The CPM politburo member said, in 2014 the BJP government came to power owing to the wrong economic policies and magnitude of corruption by the Congress led government and said both the BJP and Congress are anti-people and follow imperialistic policies and programmes beneficial to the rich and the super rich.
He also said the Congress party was never clear or sincere in the fight against communalism and said the sincerity in following secular credentials have to be checked on the policies and programmes and the statements of the leaders of a political party. Congress spokesperson and senior leader C P Joshi had once said that only the Congress can built the Ram Temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi and said this is the attitude of the Congress party in the country.
Pinarayi also said the Congress leader Digvijay Singh had once said that it was the Congress governments across the country which had brought legislation on cow slaughter and added that the Congress and BJP are in the same boat regarding cow worship and cow issue which had resulted in the death of several people.
Asked on the exact number of seats that the Left Front can win from Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan said, “Let us wait for a few more days and once the campaign picks up, I will tell you”.He said the rule of his government will be a factor in elections and that the performance of the incumbent state government will be considered during voting even for Parliament elections.
Pinarayi Vijayan said that there is nothing adverse as far as the government is concerned and added that his is a people friendly government.
‘Sabarimala issue will not have any impact’
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Sabarimala issue will not have any impact during the elections and if at all any, it will be on the actions by a section of people who had called to boycott offerings to the temple and those who had called upon devotees not to visit the temple. Pinarayi also said the NSS has not aligned with anyone nor has it opposed anyone but it is maintaining its neutral position in the general elections and said that it is a welcome move on the part of the NSS leadership.
Candidature against idea of Opposition unity: Kanam
Malappuram: CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran said Rahul Gandhi’s candidature in Wayanad is against the idea of Opposition unity. “Let Rahul make clear who he is opposing. He has been speaking about a grand alliance of Opposition parties to take on the BJP and PM Narendra Modi. How can someone, trying to destroy Opposition alliance, provide an alternative to Narendra Modi? “ he said. “If he is opposing BJP, why is he contesting from a seat where BJP forfeited its security deposit? he said.
It shows Congress’s political bankruptcy: Viswom
Kozhikode: The Congress’ decision to field Rahul Gandhi as the UDF candidate in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat shows the party’s political bankruptcy, according to CPI national secretariat member Binoy Viswom. He said the LDF is not apprehensive of Rahul’s candidature and will work unitedly to defeat him in the polls. “Though the rumblings in Congress will temporarily stop with Rahul contesting from Wayanad, the party will encounter the fallout of the decision in the coming days,” said Viswom.