Congress, BJP share same view on secularism, development; vote for LDF in bypoll: Kerala CM

Congress-led UDF and the BJP have similar stand on economic policies, development and secularism, especially where Kerala was concerned, and therefore, LDF was the best option for the progress of the State, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday while urging voters of Thrikkakara to choose the Left candidate in the upcoming by-poll.

Joining the election campaign of the Left in Thrikkakara after his visit to the USA for medical treatment, Vijayan alleged that while the BJP-led Central government was doing all that it could to create communal disharmony, Congress was in no position to oppose it by action or even words.

However, Congress has taken a stand which is soft on communalism, he alleged in his speech during a convention held here, which was attended also by rebel Congress leader K V Thomas holding true to his statement that he would be campaigning for LDF candidate Jo Joseph in the by-election.

Thomas, who was welcomed with a standing ovation when he reached the venue and walked up on to the stage, said it took him an hour to reach there and, therefore, the State needs fast modes of travel like the SilverLine.

At the event, the Chief Minister assured Thomas and everyone of the implementation of the SilverLine project and said there need be no doubt over that.

In his speech, Pinarayi said there have been attacks on the religious minorities -- like Muslims and Christians as well as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes -- and alleged that the Sangh Parivar was to blame.

He further alleged that the Sangh Parivar wants to create a world of its own and acts against any group which it does not want in such a world.

While people have been rising up against such anti-secular acts, a major drawback was that the Congress was not in a position to rise up against the same, he claimed.

Pinarayi also alleged that Congress was unable to oppose many of the Centre's anti-people economic policies as those were the ''babies'' of the previous UPA government.

He further alleged that the Congress-led UDF has always opposed every developmental project or initiative of the Left government only because the former was in the opposition, whereas the focus of the LDF has always been to take the State forward.

He referred to various projects -- Kochi metro, national highways and gas pipeline -- which he claimed the LDF implemented without any support of the UDF either at the State-level or the Centre where they have several MPs.

Thomas, in his speech, said he was with development and with Vijayan and had no hesitation in saying so.

Thomas, who had to face the ire of his colleagues in the State for praising Vijayan during the CPI(M) party congress in Kannur in April, again praised the Chief Minister by saying only a strong leader like him can take the State forward by facing any form of adversity.

He raised the issue of nepotism also by saying that late Congress leader P T Thomas had questioned the practice of sons or wives taking over power on the death of their fathers or husbands respectively.

The rebel Congress leader said that everyone, including Uma Thomas, should remember what P T Thomas had said.

Uma Thomas, widow of P T Thomas, is the UDF candidate in the by-election which was necessitated due to the death of her husband, who was the MLA from Thrikkakara, in December last year.

K V Thomas further said this election was for development and LDF should win and move forward.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)