THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The LDF will formally launch its campaign for the Lok Sabha elections with the flagging off of the sout-hern leg of Kerala Samra-kshana Yathra by CPI general secretary S. Sudhakar Reddy here on Thursday.
The LDF jathas from Thiruvananthapuram led by CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and from Kasargod led by CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran will focus on the slogan ‘Throw out Modi government.’
The jatha, which is expected to cover the majority of the 140 Assembly seats, will campaign against the Centre’s anti-people policies, hurdles created for rebuilding Kerala post the devastating floods and Sangh Parivar’s concerted campaign to communalise the Sabarimala issue. It will also proclaim the LDF government's commitment to the Constitution and women equality. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yec-hury will flag off the northern jatha from Manje-swaram on February 16.
Both the jathas will culminate with a public meeting to be held in Thrissur on March 2. During the jathas, the Left leadership will expose the failures of the Modi government. The LDF leaders say that the country’s debts have doubled, fuel prices are shooting up, agriculture and industry sectors have collapsed and people are in extreme distress due to poverty and unemployment.
They accuse the BJP of polarising society on communal lines to divert the people’s attention from the Modi government’s misrule. They want the BJP government to be thrown out of power at the very first opportunity to save the nation.
With Kerala being the only state where the Left expects to win more seats, the stakes are high. The representation of Left, especially the CPM in the next Lok Sabha, will largely depend on Kerala results. This is also crucial for the Left to play a key role in the formation of the next government.
In the flood-affected districts, the LDF will campaign on how the centre scuttled Rs 700-crore UAE aid, refused permission to ministers to travel abroad for mobilising funds and cut down central assistance in different sectors. It will explain how the UAE offer and fund mobilisation could have helped in building houses, providing means of livelihood to the people and charted the course for creating a Nava Kerala.
