Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has claimed that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is resorting to communal tactics in Vadakara eyeing the next Assembly elections.
He was opening a public event at Vadakara organised by the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI) on Saturday evening, in protest against the alleged communal campaign during the Lok Sabha polls.
“We were wondering why the LDF is raking up this communal campaign even after the culmination of the Lok Sabha polls. The Assembly elections are approaching. The LDF looks a bit unsure about how many Assembly segments it will get under the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency. Their attempt now is to create a divide among the people to win the next election,” Mr. Satheesan alleged.
He claimed that the LDF accused the UDF of indulging in a communal campaign after it realised that most of its strategies ahead of the general elections had failed. “They first tried to portray Shafi Parambil, the UDF candidate, as a non-believer. Then came the Panoor crude bomb blast. Thereafter, LDF candidate K.K. Shailaja had to take a U-turn on the alleged obscene video statement. The alleged WhatsApp message with communal overtones seeking votes for Mr. Parambil emerged as a result of all this,” Mr. Satheesan pointed out. The Congress leader alleged that it was an attempt to create a division among the people ahead of the general elections.
“We have already declared we don’t need the votes of communalists. Neither from those professing majority communalism nor from those professing minority communalism. Only those who are democratic and secular need to vote for us,” Mr. Satheesan said.
Mr. Parambil, Indian Union Muslim League leader P.M.A. Salam, RMPI leader N. Venu, and other Congress leaders were present.
