Thrikkakara bypoll: People will give shock treatment to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, claims AK Antony

AK Antony, who returned from the national capital last month after his Rajya Sabha term ended, said that the biggest joke that`s going around is that "the CPI-M is talking about development".

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Kochi: The electorate will give a "shock treatment" to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan when they go to the polling booths on May 31, said  Congress leader AK Antony, while campaigning for his party candidate Uma Thomas in the Thrikkakara bypoll on Friday (May 27). The bypoll came up after two-time Thrikkakara MLA and Congress veteran PT Thomas passed away in December last year and the party has fielded his widow Uma. 

"The Covid pandemic turned out to be the saviour for the first Vijayan government and after winning a second term, he has forgotten the people who are suffering on all counts. This is the best opportunity for the electorate to give Vijayan a shock treatment. We are confident that Uma will win with a huge margin as the people are really disappointed in giving a second term to Vijayan," IANS quoted Antony as saying.

Antony, 81, who returned from the national capital last month after his Rajya Sabha term ended, is making his first public appearance in the state. He said that the biggest joke that`s going around is "the CPI-M is talking about development", adding "They have no moral right to speak of development as every major project that you see in Kochi was the baby of the Congress-led UDF."

According to him, "None will forget on how the CPI-M have opposed all development programmes which includes chasing away tractors, playing spoilsport when the mechanisation of coir units first began, then they destroyed computers when they were first introduced and today they speak as if they are the ones who are pro-development." 

The veteran Congressman said further said, "This is the right opportunity for the people to give it back to Vijayan, whose arrogance has increased manifold. If the Left is going to get 100 seats, it would lead to increased arrogance and rudeness of Vijayan, so this is the right opportunity to give him a strong message."

CPI(M) alleges Congress-led UDF entered into 'unholy' alliance with BJP

Earlier on Tuesday, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, state secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), alleged that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has entered into an "unholy" alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in Thrikkakara assembly bypoll.

Balakrishnan alleged, "During the recently held local body elections in Thrippunithura at Ernakulam district, the BJP had won two seats due to UDF, and now the former is returning the favour by assisting UDF to win the Thrikkakara bypoll." 

He further attacked the Congress-led UDF saying, "Now the UDF has reached an agreement not only with the BJP but also with the SDPI, and the Congress is trying to form an anti-Left front in Thrikkakara, which will not work here." 

(With Agency Inputs)