The Navakerala Sadas, the State government’s public outreach programme, began in Alappuzha with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan kicking off the first session in Aroor Assembly constituency on the Arayankavu Temple ground on Thursday.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Vijayan said the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had taken an anti-Kerala stance. “The UDF is working against the interests of the State. It is not opposing the wrong policies of the Centre. While the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government is nurturing a hostile attitude towards Kerala and trying to choke the State financially, the UDF, with its actions, is trying to bail out the Centre. The situation calls for a united front, but the UDF is not ready to join the fight against the Centre’s unconstitutional acts,” the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Vijayan said extreme poverty would be wiped out from Kerala by November 2025. “The State government is working to ensure the welfare of all sections of society. The Centre, on the other hand, is trying to make the rich richer. When we look at the Global Hunger Index, India slid from 55th place in 2013 to 111th place in 2023. The wrong financial policies of the Centre are pushing the country backwards,” he said.
The Chief Minister later addressed the Navakerala Sadas for Cherthala Assembly constituency at St. Michael’s College ground, Cherthala.
Mr. Vijayan and other Ministers entered the district at Thavanakadavu from Vaikom on a jhankar earlier. Youth Congress activists waved a black flag at the bus carrying the State Cabinet at Poochakkal in Alappuzha.
The second day of the tour will begin with the Chief Minister attending a meeting with 300 select people from different walks of life at Camelot Convention Centre in Alappuzha on Friday at 9 a.m. The Sadas for the Alappuzha constituency will be held at SDV School ground at 11 a.m. The event for the Ambalappuzha constituency will be held at Kappakkada ground in Punnapra South panchayath at 3 p.m. followed by Kuttanad constituency Sadas on a ground near Indian Oil pump at Nedumudi at 4.30 p.m. The event for Haripad constituency will be held at Government Boys High School, Haripad at 6 p.m.
