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by IANS |
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 21 (IANS) State CPI(M) secretary M.V.Govindan on Tuesday cleared the air on his party's ongoing statewide yatra saying that it aims creating a safety net for the Kerala government and not for Pinarayi Vijayan as is being touted.
Govindan's statement comes on the second day of the yatra. While interacting with the media, he pointed out that the yatra intends to inform the people how the Centre is strangling the state by not granting adequate funds due to it for smooth functioning.
"This yatra is to provide a safety net around the Kerala government that's doing everything for the people and not to create one for Vijayan," said Govindan. Politically, this yatra is a warm up for the party cadres ahead of the next year's Lok Sabha polls.
Govindan's yatra on a motorcade will cover all the 140 Assembly constituencies in the state and arrive here on March 18. Those accompanying him include CPI(M) independent legislator K.T.Jaleel, Jake C.Thomas, M.Swaraj, P.K.Biju and C.S.Sujatha.
Incidentally, the CPI(M)-led Left had a near washout when it lost 19 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. Despite that backlash, it won comfortably at the 202 Local body polls and retained office at the 2021 Assembly polls.
Govindan's yatra comes at a time when the image of the state government in general and Chief minister Vijayan in particular has taken a beating.
His statement that the security net is going to be for the government and not Vijayan, has left many wondering whether Govindan has decided to take over command of the party and wanting it to be above the government, a phenomenon that was true, until Vijayan took over in 2016.
