‘Parties can decide whether to make Sabarimala a campaign issue; will not affect LDF’

PATHANAMTHITTA: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the elections are turning into a historic event where people will rally together to ensure continuity that will enable the country's progress and the welfare of the people by upholding democratic values. He also clarified in a press conference that development and people's welfare are the topics of discussion placed before the people.

CM’s words
The right front is trying to mislead the people by spreading lies and using communalism. Keralites do not have a general sense of despair that there is no alternative to the neoliberal policies of the Congress and BJP, which sell everything to corporates. Kerala has proven in these ten years that a humane alternative, which is a model for the world, is viable.

Right wing politics, which throws the manifesto in the dustbin once it comes to power, is foreign to Kerala today. The generation that has completed 18 years and comes to vote does not necessarily remember the bad experiences of ten years ago. At that stage, there was a view of stagnation in all sectors. The UDF gave Kerala a complete collapse.
The welfare pension arrears brought by the UDF government were up to 18 months. That was when Healthy Kerala was put on a ventilator. No one can forget the public health system with no doctors and medicines and the deplorable condition of the hospitals. Students dropped out of public schools en masse. Schools were closed saying they were not profitable. Managers were connived at this.

The industrial sector was in a state of complete collapse. There was a complete failure in the electricity sector. Load shedding became a system. An attempt was made to destroy the public distribution sector. Public transport was also put on hold. It was from that dark period that the LDF government took on the historic responsibility of rebuilding Kerala. The budget allocation for the health sector was Rs 665 crore. The LDF government increased this to more than 3000 crores. The basic facilities in the hospital increased to a large extent.

The government and the devaswom board have taken a meticulous approach to the Sabarimala issue. A special investigation team has been appointed under the supervision of the high court. The high court has made it clear that there is no interference of any external force in the investigation. The parties can decide whether to make Sabarimala a campaign issue and it will not affect the LDF.