The Left Democratic Front (LDF) on Thursday staged a demonstration in front of the city Corporation to protest against the State government’s efforts to scuttle elections to the local bodies.
The LDF volunteers took out marches from Palayam, Chala, Vanchiyoor, and Peroorkada before gathering in front of the Corporation office.
State Committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Anathalavattom Anandan said in his address that the United Democratic Front (UDF) was deliberately trying to foil local body polls due to its inherent fear of loosing the polls.
The UDF, which has been mired in scandals, was trying to delay the elections as it was “sure of losing” the polls. Besides the issue of corruption charges against Ministers, the State government had failed to control the price of essential commodities.
The efforts of the State government was towards scuttling the polls and then bring the local bodies under administrative control, he said.
In his address, V. Sivankutty, MLA, said never in the history a State government had been so antagonist with the city Corporation like in the last five years.
The UDF government had put a spanner on all development and welfare works of the civic body just because it was ruled by LDF, Mr. Sivankutty said. The LDF volunteers also staged protest in front of Corporation zonal offices at Nemom, Kovalam, and Kazhakuttom.
The LDF had launched similar protests in front of 73 panchayats, Neyyattinkara, Attingal, and Varkala Municipalities. Others who participated in the demonstration include Communist Party of India leader M.P. Achuthan, convenor of LDF V. Gangadharan, district president of NCP Attingal Ramachandran, Congress (S) district president Palyam Rajan, former Mayor C. Jayan Babu, Deputy Mayor Happy Kumar and chairman of standing committee for Works V.S. Padmakumar.
