All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Rahul Gandhi said here on Sunday that “the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had failed to make Kerala an investment-friendly destination though its neighbouring States, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, etc., had attracted lot of investment.”
Addressing an election rally of the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidates in the district at Fort Maidan, Mr. Gandhi said “for the LDF government, led by the Communist Party of India, the party was more important than the development of the State or the welfare of its people. This was one of the reasons for the largest number of 45 lakh unemployed youth in Kerala.”
Bemoaning lack of industrialisation in the State, he said there were only three choices before the youth of Kerala to gain employment.
One is to go to other States to get employment. The second option is to go to the Middle East and other countries. The third option is to become a member of the ruling CPI(M) or its feeder organisations to get a job in the State, Mr. Gandhi said.
He said the LDF had not kept most of the promises it made during the last Assembly election. Liquor, land and lottery gangs rule the State now. Violence, scams and goondaism had rocked even the government. The time has come for a change in Kerala to bring in a government that will give priority to inclusive growth of the State and its people. We should have a government that carries all sections of the people forward.
He said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre and a government of the United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala could work in “strong partnership to take the State to new heights.”
He said the UDF, if voted to power, would bring a special scheme for paddy farmers of Palakkad.
The Union government had given a Rs.260 crore BEML manufacturing unit to Palakkad, Mr. Rahul Gandhi said. “The UPA government had written off farmers' debt of Rs.70,000 crore. We have implemented the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to provide employment to the poor and marginalized sections of society. We have created a National Highway network scheme for development of roads in the country.”
The fast economic growth had made India one of the biggest investment destinations of the world. The money generated from industrial growth and other developments was used for uplift of the weaker sections of society, Mr. Gandhi said.
The AICC general secretary introduced all the 12 candidates of the UDF. The meeting was presided over by District Congress Committee president C.V. Balachandran.
