The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) seeks to counter Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s mass contact programme in November/December by organising a high-profile political boycott of the campaign. It will also turn its back on Keraleeyam-2023, a week-long festival in November to showcase Kerala’s achievements and potential.
The UDF leadership will work on the modalities. It plans to mobilise the Opposition’s organisational machinery from the block level and upwards to organise a counter-campaign to rob the government’s public outreach of its sheen and put the Left Democratic Front (LDF) administration under a harsh spotlight.
The UDF is acutely mindful that the ruling LDF had thrown its organisational might behind the government’s bid to till the electoral field for the looming Lok Sabha and Local body elections. Moreover, the estimation that traditional LDF voters had defected in sizeable numbers to the Congress in the Puthuppally byelection has helped lift the glumness that had descended on the Opposition after being cast out of power for two consecutive Assembly terms.
Satheesan’s charge
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Thursday termed both programmes thinly veiled LDF propaganda campaigns with an eye on the forthcoming elections. Nevertheless, the LDF wanted the public to pick up the tab for its electioneering expenses. The government was drawing on a cash-strapped treasury to fund its political facelift.
The UDF termed the programme reckless extravagance with public money. Farmers were starving and menaced by banks for defaulting on debt payments.
Mr. Satheesan said the government had failed farmers by not compensating them for their crops. Welfare pensions and dearness allowance payments to State employees were hit. Chief Minister’s Office was the den of conspiracy, corruption, intrigue and nepotism.
He said the LDF exacerbated the cost of living crisis by slapping an extortionate cess on fuel, power and water. Its failed market intervention has worsened food inflation. The treasury has run dry. Consequentially, civic works have suffered because the government had no money to compensate public work contractors, Mr. Satheesan said.
The government has arbitrarily announced the mass contact programme without taking the Opposition into confidence. UDF legislators will likely not share the stage with Mr. Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues when they tour Assembly constituencies, he said.
By some accounts, the UDF will take a final call after weighing the political cost of such a measure.
