The United Democratic Front has decided to organise a series of agitations ahead of the Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala’s “Padayorukkam”, the one-month long Kerala campaign he has planned against the unpopular polices of the Centre and State Governments from November 1.
Several issues with State-wide importance will be taken up at the State-level, beginning with the “day and night” stir in front of the Secretariat and in front of collectorates in the other 13 districts from 10 a.m. on October 5 to 10 a.m. the next day.
The “day and night” agitation is against the communal and fascist policies of the Modi Government and the “deceitful liquor policy” and other failures of the Left Democratic Front Government, according to the UDF convenor P.P. Thankachan.
The UDF has already organised a series of agitations to focus on the LDF Government’s failure, beginning with a stir against its decision to hand over the Halcyon Palace to the Ravi Pillai group. The UDF organised marches to the the two properties owned by Transport Minister Thomas Chandy in protest against encroachment of government land and reclamation of backwaters in Alapuzha.
In Nilambur, local UDF and Congress units have organised agitations against P.V. Anwar, the CPI(M) legislator, who is in trouble for allegedly violating environment regulations while setting up an amusement park. There are several such agitations spread across the State, which the UDF has decided to use to tweak local disaffection against the LDF.
The hike in prices of petroleum products, cooking gas and the negative impact of demonetisation and the self-confessed economic slowdown are the themes being used to depict the Modi Government in poor light. This is perhaps for the first time that the UDF is taking the initiative to organise agitations against the ruling dispensation, contrary to the usual practice of allowing the respective constituents to organise such exercises in their own style.
The responsibility of organising such agitations usually fell on the Congress Party. The Congress party and other constituents have also announced their mode of agitations, but the focus will be on the joint stirs under the banner of the UDF, according to sources.