PM dangles industrial hub carrot in Kerala

KERALA ASSEMBLY POLL 2006

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today urged voters in Kerala to return the Congress-led UDF to power to ensure that the state becomes an industrial hub.

Though Kerala achieved 9 per cent growth last year due to UDF's "good governance", the state had "missed the bus" of industrialisation, Singh told an election meeting here. Today was the second last day of campaigning for the first phase of elections to the Kerala Assembly.

"It is essential to ensure more investment and to attract knowledge-based industries to create employment," he said.

Though Kerala's record on literacy and health fronts was the best in the country, the state needed to "do much more" to transform these achievements into better skills to ensure more jobs to the unemployed, he said.

"We need to have excellent human resources to make Kerala a hub of economic activity," he said, adding that the UDF's "good governance" had ensured that the state developed fast.

Meanwhile, campaigning in the state's southern districts, which go to polls on April 22, has reached a crescendo.

While opinion polls have suggested victory for the LDF, signals from the grassroot indicate that the UDF was giving it a stiff competition in most places in the region, especially in Kottayam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts.

The LDF is hoping to do considerably better in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha districts, known for their political shifts every election.

While development is UDF's main plank, the LDF has been saying that only affluent sections have benefited from the policies of the ruling coalition.

The LDF believes the presence of Marxist veteran VS Achuthanandan has boosted the coallition's prospects. The pre-poll surveys, too, show that the 83-year-old Marxist has left a deep impression as an Opposition leader.

Knowing this well, the UDF leaders have sharpened their attack on Achuthanandan, saying he will be an obstacle to development.

The BJP, far behind the LDF and the UDF, is hoping to win a handful of seats, especially in Palakkad, where it has fielded former Union minister O Rajagopal.

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, Politbureau member Sitaram Yechuri, CPI General Secretary AB Bardhan and the party's national council secretary D Raja are campaigning for the LDF.

BJP leader LK Advani had visited Kasargode and Kozhikode a couple of days ago.