THIRUVANANTHAPRUAM: LDF is planning to make Centre’s alleged step motherly attitude towards state’s demands a major political plank for campaign. The ruling front plans to sustain and intensify the campaign in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It believes that the refusal of PMO to grant appointment to the elected chief minister of Kerala four times clearly indicated Narendra Modi government’s hostile approach towards the state.
According to Palakkad MP, M.B. Rajesh the Centre was deliberately discriminating against the state because of political reasons. There is clear attempt to hold up the projects of the state on flimsy grounds. The idea is to derail the development projects of the state, he added. The LDF leadership alleged that Modi government was giving preference to BJP ruled states which was also evident from the speed with which projects are being sanctioned for party -ruled states such as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himahal .
“We will meet the Prime Minister and union ministers concerned to take up our pending projects. We will apprise them about the needs of our people and seek their intervention,” said Rajesh. LDF leadership alleged that Centre was dragging its feet over rail coach factory, AIIMS, bottling plant, railway medical college, distribution of ration rice and wheat and several other projects concerning the state. The Left leadership wants to utilize all options including talks with the Centre before launching direct action.
“We will rally people in support of state’s demands. We don’t want to play politics. But if the government is hell bent on discriminating the state on political lines then we don’t have any other option but to take them on politically,” said the MP. The LDF plan is to combine the nationwide agitation of various sections of society including workers, peasants, agricultural workers along with the campaign in the state. The BJP on the other hand has accused the chief minister of politicising state’s development issues.
“The chief minister is playing politics. There is no discrimination. The LDF government has failed to do its homework properly. It has failed to check black-marketing and hoarding of ration rice and wheat, computerise ration shops,” said BJP state general secretary K Surendran. On Kanjikode rail coach factory, the BJP leader said the government had failed to find a partner for implementing the project. Even on the question infrastructure projects, the state government was lagging behind in acquiring land. He refuted the LDF charge that the PMO was not giving appointment to the chief minister. “Pinarayi had a detailed talk with PM during the recent Neeti Ayog meeting in Delhi,” he added.
