BJP State president V. Muraleedharan said here on Friday that the collapse of the Left Democratic Front and infighting in the UDF would benefit the BJP in the elections to the local self governments.
The BJP leader was addressing a ‘Meet-the-Press’ programme organised by the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club in connection with the elections.
Mr. Muraleedharan said that both the CPI (M) and the Congress were trying to give a share in the administration of local self governments to extremists by entering into electoral adjustments with them. This would also benefit the BJP. The liaison between the CPI (M) and the extremist organisations was obvious from the inaction of the police after DYFI workers arrested at Paravoor recently were found to be working for the Popular Front by night.
He said that social equity, transparency and comprehensive development would be the slogan of the BJP in the elections. Along with the issue of local development, national and State issues would also figure in the campaign, including the UPA government’s failure to control prices as promised. The liaison between the lottery distributors and the Congress and the CPI (M) and the links between the liquor mafia and the CPI (M) would be highlighted.
He said that the State Planning Board itself had admitted that the decentralised planning and the system of administration in the local self government had not yielded the desired results. Decentralisation did not lead to participatory democracy. The Board had stated that the local bodies had failed to address basic problems, while concentrating on immediate concerns. The BJP wanted to herald a new system of administration that would emphasis development, especially in sectors such as agriculture. Once the election is over, the local self governments should function above politics for development.
He said that the decision of the former municipal chairman of Palakkad Devayani to quit the Congress and join the BJP was the result of the BJP’s stand in support of the weaker sections. The Congress had harassed her because she belonged to the backward sections. The BJP, on the other hand, was the only party that had taken a clear stand in favour of implementation of the recommendations of the Rangnath Misra Commission. Owing to its stand on such issues, more people would be joining the BJP.
