Mahesh denies UDF, BJP vote trade

Kollam: Congress candidate from Karunagappally CR Mahesh said that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s claim that BJP traded its votes to UDF candidates was not true. Speaking at “Keraleeyam 2021” programme organized at the press club he said that he received votes of both BJP and the Left parties.
“In a constituency like Karuangappally where BJP had very limited influence, they may have got more votes in the past due to various reasons. It is not wrong to reclaim the UDF votes which had gone to BJP or LDF,” said Mahesh. His emphasis would be to implement development activities, and his priority would be to address the drinking water crisis, sea erosion and other issues plaguing people, he said. “I don’t consider it a limitation to be an opposition MLA. I hope the government will support development activities,” he said.
Detailing his plans under ‘Mission 2021-26’, Mahesh said he had chalked out a ten-point programme and priority would be given to ensuring drinking water availability for all. “Development of the taluk hospital, Oachira town, tsunami colony renovation, ‘theera samrudhi’, mini tourism circuit linking, Vattakkayal and Aayiram Thengu are my pet projects,” he said. There would be a scheme to ensure healthcare to the workers under employment guarantee scheme and autorickshaw workers, he added.
Referring to UDF’s crisis, especially Congress, he said, “Instead of indulging in blame game, there should be a proper analysis of the reasons for the defeat and efforts to correct them.”
RSP setback due to political deceit: Noushad
M Noushad, the winning candidate from Eravipuram, said RSP was facing a setback for the political deceit it had done for protecting the interests of a single leader. He said that when RSP quit LDF and joined UDF fold to claim the Lok Sabha seat for NK Premachandran, it lost all its assembly, municipal corporation, grama panchayat and district panchayat posts. It could not win a single seat in the last two assembly elections.
“When CPM took over the Lok Sabha seat, it had given a Rajya Sabha seat to RSP,” he said.
Noushad alleged that BJP and UDF had tried to divide the people of Eravipuram on caste lines. “But the people here rejected such a move and that is reflected in my success,” he said. He said his priority would be to complete the on-going projects he had begun in his previous tenure as MLA.