Chengannur bypoll: LDF launches election convention; Pinarayi Vijayan hits out at BJP, Congress

Chengannur: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said the defeat of BJP in the recent Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha bypolls was an indication that the people have started thinking against the saffron party led front. In his inaugural address at the ruling CPM-led LDF’s election convention for the Chengannuur Assembly bypoll, Vijayan launched a scathing attack against the BJP and Congress. The bypoll, necessitated following the death of CPM MLA KK Ramachandran Nair, is witnessing a stiff triangular contest between the LDF, Congress led UDF and BJP. [caption id=“attachment_4350569” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. News18[/caption] “People of the country have started thinking against BJP. The defeat of the BJP in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls was a clear indication” that the people were thinking against BJP-led front, Vijayan said. Not taking up the notices of no-confidence motion against the central government for the third day on Tuesday was a ‘challenge’ to parliamentary democracy, he said. Kerala was not getting its due share from the Centre, he charged. Hitting out at the RSS, Vijayan said the outfit was not treating Dalits as human beings. Attacking the Congress, he said it was that party’s “wrong polices” which helped the BJP’s growth. Congress has failed to raise its voice against the BJP and was moving along on the same lines with the saffron party on various issues, he alleged. In Kerala, BJP managed to open its account in the Assembly with the help of the Congress, he charged. Vijayan listed out at the achievements of the state after the LDF government came to power and urged party workers not to be carried away by “malicious” campaigns against the LDF and asked them to check it by stronger campaigns. JD(S) state president and LDF candidate for the 23 March Rajya Sabha election from Kerala MP Veerendra Kumar, leader of the Kerala Congress BR Balakrishna Pillai, CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran, were among those who spoke. Former Congress MLA Shobhana George, who contested as an Independent from Chengannur in 2016 Assembly polls, was also present at the convention. Though the date for the bypoll was yet to be announced, the LDF has announced Saji Cherian as its candidate and the UDF and BJP have named D Viyajkumar and PS Sreedharan Pillai as their nominees.