It is time for change: Sonia Gandhi

Says CPI(M) is always behind the times in its policies, principles and priorities

Congress president Sonia Gandhi waves to the crowd along with UDF candidates from Alappuzha district during an election meeting at Haripad in Alappuzha on Wednesday. Photo: H. Vibhu.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has said that it is time for change in Kerala.

Addressing an election rally of the United Democratic Front (UDF) at Haripad here on Wednesday, Ms. Gandhi said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the State was steeped in corruption, embroiled in scam after scam and callous to the needs of the people. In the last five years of the LDF rule, Kerala had lagged behind. It was the liquor, lottery and real estate syndicates that had ruled the State for the last five years, she added.

The Central government, Ms. Gandhi said, had extended full support to Kerala when its shores were ravaged by the 2004 tsunami. But the LDF government, which had the responsibility of seeing through a major part of the rehabilitation process, did not make full use of the help extended by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre.

Urging the people to ask the LDF regime whether it really cared for the public, Ms. Gandhi said the same callousness was visible in its approach to the Rs.1,840-crore Kuttanad Package, which was “not taken seriously and not implemented sincerely.”

Farmers, workers and the youth had suffered at the hands of the LDF, and it was time for change. The UDF, she said, would bring about that change, apart from fully protecting the interests of farmers, the fishing community and workers in the unorganised sector and in plantations.

Ms. Gandhi, who did not mention the name of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan even once in her speech, said the Communist Party of India (Marxist), as a political party, was always behind the times — in its policies, principles and priorities. The party had opposed the tractor when it was introduced and was against the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's effort to ring in the information technology era.

Listing out the UPA government's steps to tackle the global economic meltdown, Ms. Gandhi said sustained growth was made possible even in those dark days due to the UPA's economic policies. The Centre could sustain its poverty alleviation programmes as well during the period. A Rs.500-crore programme was launched for self-help groups. The minimum support price for paddy had never been increased so much.

Ms. Gandhi, who arrived by helicopter at Haripad, spoke for 15 minutes before stepping down from the dais to walk along the barricades waving to the crowd. She was accompanied by Union Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi, Union Minister of State for Power K.C. Venugopal and Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy. Mr. Venugopal earlier introduced UDF candidates from the district to her.