The Puthuppally bypoll defeat will mark the beginning of the end of the CPI(M) in Kerala, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has claimed.
Addressing the media here on Saturday, he alleged that the ruling party had become arrogant after coming to power for a second consecutive term in the State. The defeat of the party candidate Jaick C. Thomas in Puthuppally was a signal to the CPI(M) from the people, including party members and sympathizers, that all was not well.
Party State secretary M.V. Govindan had reduced himself to playing second fiddle to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Though Mr. Govindan had earlier claimed that the Puthuppally election results would be an evaluation of the government, he changed his opinion later. Mr. Govindan had become an expert in changing his views quite often. The Leader of the Opposition accused Mr. Vijayan of keeping silence even after the election defeat, adding that the Chief Minister was not taking the people’s mandate seriously. He claimed that the victory of Chandy Oommen from Puthuppally was a result of the united effort of UDF leaders.
Meanwhile, Mr. Satheesan alleged that Mr. Vijayan had no role in the administrative decisions of the government. This was evident from the swift removal of M. Rajagopalan Nair as the chairperson of the Kerala State Welfare Corporation for Forward Communities recently. He was earlier appointed to the post after removing Kerala Congress (B) nominee K.G. Premjith. “It has been claimed that the Chief Minister’s office was not aware of the move. It is surprising… The State is now ruled by a sinister gang in the Chief Minister’s office led by the Public Works Minister,” Mr. Satheesan alleged.
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition said that he would raise the demand for a compensation for K.K. Harshina, who is the alleged victim of a ‘botched’ C-Section surgery at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode.
Mr. Satheesan said that he would meet the Chief Minister and the Health Minister for the purpose. The issue would be raised in the upcoming Assembly session as well, he added. Ms. Harshina is planning to stage a sit-in outside the Assembly from September 13.
