The Cabinet on Wednesday announced a major mass contact programme from November 18 to December 24 to cure the pitch for the looming Lok Sabha elections and beat the blues brought about by the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) defeat in the Puthuppally byelection.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues will meet the citizenry in 140 Assembly constituencies in the State. They will also tour the Assembly segments to gauge the pulse of the people and hear their grievances, with a sharp focus on rectifying municipal-level issues such as potholed roads, lack of piped water and civic stations and other critical infrastructure requirements. The government will broadcast its achievements and development initiatives to sway the electorate and build bridges with all sections of society.
The Ministers will meet opinion leaders and hold citizen conclaves in district centres. Legislators, elected local body members, farmers’ unions, women, and students will participate. Parliamentary Affairs Minister K. Radhakrishnan will coordinate the programme.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the ruling Left Democratic Front on Wednesday accorded top priority to the government’s outreach programme and promised political support and mobilisation at the grassroots.
Cabinet reshuffle
LDF convener E.P. Jayarajan brushed aside questions of a possible Cabinet reshuffle and concentrated his press conference on the government’s mammoth public outreach. The LDF will form organising committees at the booth level and upwards to make the programme electorally consequential. The LDF was acutely aware of the impending elections and the government’s need to communicate its achievements and promises to the people.
“A sizeable section of voters outside the LDF’s traditional ambit would flock behind the government in future elections,” Mr. Jayarajan said.
The programme would kick off in the Manjeswaram Assembly constituency in Kasaragod district and conclude in Thiruvananthapuram. He said the accent was on ridding Kerala of extreme poverty and homelessness.
Mr. Jayrajan said a radical Cabinet rejig was not on the cards. A media organisation had floated the rumour, and other news outlets echoed the lie as a given. He said some LDF constituents had given letters seeking Cabinet posts, including the Loktantrik Janata Dal and Revolutionary Socialist Party (Leninist).
“It’s their inalienable right to aspire for a representation in the Cabinet. But no situation warrants a reshuffle. Nevertheless, the LDF will honour its commitment given to some allies when the second Pinarayi Vijayan government assumed power,” he said.
As per the understanding, Transport Minister Antony Raju of the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress would quit office in favour of Kerala Congress (B) leader K.B. Ganesh Kumar. Similarly, Kadanappally Ramachandran of the Congress (S) would replace Ahammad Devarkovil of the Indian National League.
