Slamming the ruling Congress-led UDF and opposition CPI(M)-led LDF for 'ruining' the state, BJP today launched its much hyped political yatra ahead of the coming Assembly elections in Kerala from this northern-most district.
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu flagged off the 'Vimochana Yatra' led by party's state president Kummanam Rajasekharan at Uppalla.
The yatra would cover 140 constituencies across the state and conclude in state capital on February 10.
After its better show in the recent civic elections, BJP is looking to open its account in the Assembly elections in the state, which has been ruled by UDF and LDF alternatingly.
Rajasekharan has recently been appointed state president, to steer the party in the election-bound state.
Speaking on the occasion, Naidu lashed out at successive governments of UDF and LDF that ruled the state, accusing the two fronts of having ruined the state over the years.
He saidleaders of both UDF and LDFwere involved in corruption and pursue appeasement policy.
Naidu said BJP's vision was all-round development and justice for all, devoid of special affinity towards any particular section.
The party-led central government's aim was to have housing for all by 2022, he added.
Naidu also took a dig at Congress and CPI(M), who are rivals in the state, but has no qualms in joining hands in West Bengal and New Delhi.
Terming as "unfortunate" the suicide of Rohit Vemula, a research scholar at the Central University of Hyderabad,Naidu charged Congress with indulging in "misleading propaganda" over the incident.
The authorities will take action on the basis of the investigation report, he said.
Hitting back at Congress, he said the party that failed to respond when eight students of the university committed suicide during the tenure of the UPA was "celebrating" the issue now under the pretext of"compassion for Dalit community".
On the Centre's approach to Kerala, he said it fully supported the Rs 5,187 crore Kochi Metro Rail project and had extendedRs 600 crore till date, he said.
Noted film actor Suresh Gopi read out a pledge at the function presided over by senior party leader O Rajagopal.
The political yatras of Congress led by KPCC President V M Sudheeran and CPI(M) led by politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan are presently winding up across the state.
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Shah came to the limelight after he scripted the party's stupendous victory in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as it bagged 71 seats of the total of 80 while another two were won by its ally Apna Dal. Shah was in-charge of UP affairs during the time.
Party veterans L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha and Shanta Kumar have raised a banner of revolt on the way the party was being run for the past few months. They had also sought to find the reasons behind the party's loss in Delhi and Bihar assembly elections.
Shah faces a tough challenge of steering the party to victory in the upcoming assembly elections due in Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala in the next few months.
He also faces the challenge of assembly elections in crucial states like Uttar Pradesh, besides in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, where polls are due in early 2017.
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Raking up Ishrat Jahan case, the political resolution said
the new facts that have emerged have "exposed" Congress' dubious role in compromising national security for petty political ends.
"Yet Congress party does not betray any remorse or self- introspection. Their leaders are seen brazenly rubbing shoulders with secessionist and ultra-Leftist elements who are demanding vivisection and destruction of Bharat," a party statement said quoting the resolution.
It also took at dig at electoral understanding between Congress and the Left in West Bengal, saying they have done so in their desperation to stop BJP's exponential growth.
The "cynical and irrational" opposition of Congress and some other parties to the government's transformative agenda, including the GST bill, has resulted in enormous damage to the country, it alleged.
