Verbal exchanges between political leaders assumed an unusually sharper edge on Wednesday, the penultimate day of the open campaign for the Aruvikkara Assembly by-election, the polling for which would take place on Saturday.
With the Congress leadership targeting Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan, who has been coming down heavily on the Congress and members of the Oommen Chandy Cabinet over issues of corruption, a certain amount of bitterness was infused into the campaign in the final phase. With BJP leaders also entering the fray, though with milder words, the exchanges seemed to deviate from the normal.
Mr. Achuthanandan’s attack was centred on the solar scam and the bar bribery allegations and he has been scathing in his attack on Mr. Chandy himself and his Cabinet colleagues. Some of his remarks had angered the younger elements in the UDF, who wanted the leadership to hit back in equal measure.
Probably as a result of the pressure from the ground, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V.M. Sudheeran came up with a sharp attack on Mr. Achuthanandan likening him to a sheep that would be slaughtered by the State CPI(M) leadership once the by-election is over.
Congress Working Committee member A.K. Antony also chipped in, accusing Mr. Achuthanandan of double standards on the question of corruption. He reminded Mr. Achuthanandan that he was living in the company of R. Balakrishna Pillai, against whom he had fought corruption cases for years, even as he raised all sorts of corruption charges against Mr. Chandy and his colleagues.
An angry Mr. Achuthanandan hit back likening Mr. Sudheeran to a butcher and Mr. Antony to a midget who is stated to have traditionally led the ceremonial annual procession from the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in the capital in the past.
Not to be left behind, BJP State president V. Muraleedharan accused the leaders of the two alliances of having come before the people of Aruvikkara wearing masks which, he was certain, they would keep aside once the by-election was over.
With BJP leaders also entering the fray, the exchanges seemed to deviate from the normal.
