The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused both the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) of neglecting the Vattiyurkavu Assembly constituency.
Participating in a meet-the-press programme at the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club here on Tuesday, BJP candidate for the bypoll to the constituency S. Suresh said that his party was capable of undoing more than four decades of neglect the region had suffered.
“Vattiyurkavu has been represented by both the coalitions in equal share since its formation. The constituency suffered a severe shortage in drinking water supply, lacked in drainage facilities, and is facing an infrastructure development impasse. Creating a peculiar situation that was unheard of in the State, the persisting issues forced the residents’ associations to agitate against both the former legislator, who represented the Congress, as well as the Left Democratic Front government,” he said.
Projects scuttled
He accused the city Corporation, led by Mayor V.K. Prasanth, who is the LDF’s candidate in Vattiyurkavu, of scuttling the Smart City and AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) schemes and diverting their funds.
Mr. Suresh said he was confident of replicating the efforts of Nemom MLA O. Rajagopal, the BJP’s lone legislator in the State, who, he claimed, could successfully overcome the purported indifference of the State government by attracting several Centrally funded projects to the constituency.
BJP State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, who was present, accused the rival coalitions of lacking in political propriety by unleashing personal attacks on BJP candidates and dubbing them as ‘weak contenders’.
‘Growing influence’
“In reality, both the coalitions are intimidated by the growing influence of the BJP in the State. The party has witnessed tremendous growth in vote share in Vattiyurkavu, Konni and Manjeswaram since the 2016 Assembly elections. However, the UDF and the LDF have been attempting to mislead the electorate by claiming that the BJP stood no chance at the hustings,” he said.
