THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former chief minister Oommen Chandy on Friday said that he will maintain his connect with the people, travelling by bus and train across the state and taking up their issues. At a press conference here, when asked what will be his responsibility in the UDF since he was not willing to take up the Opposition leader's post, Chandy said; “As a public worker I will move all over the state and work for the people. My connection with the people will never get snapped. I will travel by bus and trains across the state to sustain my link with the people of Kerala.”
Will you be the people's sentinel like V.S. Ahuthanandan ? “I am a public worker,” Chandy said and added that during his 48 years of political and parliamentary life he had held official positions only for a brief period. “Most of the time I have worked as ordinary worker of the party,” he added.
When asked whether the chief minister who loses in the elections shouldn't automatically be the choice for opposition leader's post, he shot back; “In that case shouldn't the person who functioned as Opposition leader become the chief minister after victory?” He apparently took a dig at V.S. Achuthanandan who was not considered for the top post after LDF victory.
On UDF allies' view that Chandy should be the Opposition leader or be at the top level to keep the front united, he said there was no problem in the alliance. The UDF was united. On being asked as to why he was taking the entire responsibility for the defeat and stepping aside when it should have been a collective accountability. Moreover, the other leaders were not only retaining their posts but also getting higher position.
The former chief minister said; “The main responsibility for the defeat is mine and I am not shying away from it.” Regarding the charge that the UDF had received such a huge set back because of his “soft” approach towards the BJP, the former chief minster said such a propaganda was unleashed to mislead the people.
But people will soon to know about the forces that misled them. On Vellapally Natesan's claim that the BDJS had seriously damaged the UDF in the elections, Chandy said the performance of the party would be evaluated in detail at Assembly segment level .
