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Citing Covid protocol, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has stored away from bodily campaigning and has confined himself to digital addresses throughout conferences for native physique polls — reckoned as a referendum on the CPI(M)-led authorities within the state.
The absence of Vijayan has grow to be conspicuous as his personal Cabinet colleagues, together with those that had earlier examined constructive for Covid-19, are touring the state and a number of other Opposition leaders are instantly assembly voters.
While the ruling get together has cited Covid protocol, the Opposition has pointed to latest scandals behind the chief being confined to digital mode.
Vijayan, who has been the face of the LDF authorities for the final four-and-a-half years, had led the CPI(M) marketing campaign within the final Lok Sabha polls and that election had marked his taking up the mantle of electioneering from get together veteran V S Achuthanandan.
“There is a course from the Election Commission that greater than 100 individuals mustn’t take part in any occasions related with campaigning. In the programmes of the Chief Minister, since greater than 100 would collect, that will lead to violation… The Chief Minister will handle the voters via digital occasions, which might have bigger attain than a public occasion,’’ senior CPI(M) chief and the get together’s Kannur secretary M V Jayarajan stated.
However, Opposition chief Ramesh Chennithala stated Vijayan “ran away from electioneering” due to latest scandals.
“The party has sensed the severe drubbing awaiting the LDF in the elections. Defeat is sure and hence the Chief Minister has decided to avoid public meetings as part of campaigning.”
Also absent within the native physique campaigning within the CPI(M) is Politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who final month stepped down because the get together’s state secretary citing “health issues”. Balakrishnan’s son Bineesh has been arrested in a drug and cash laundering case.
The LDF authorities can be dealing with heavy criticism from the Opposition over the arrest of Vijayan’s former principal secretary within the gold smuggling case. Besides, ED has issued summons to Vijayan’s extra non-public secretary C M Raveendran within the cash laundering case associated to the smuggling.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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