Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the byelections at Chavara and Kuttanad in November will be a public vote on the performance of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) was the last word on the conduct of elections. Kerala would not oppose its decision. It would be politically improper for any government to ask the ECI to defer an election.
He said Kerala would go into Assembly election mode from April 2021. Hence, the winners of the byelections would only have technically four months as lawmakers. The State Election Commission (SEC) will soon take the final call on the conduct of the local body elections.
The Chief Minister accused Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran of exhorting government employees to betray the trust the State had placed on them by asking them to pass on files to the Opposition.
He said Mr. Ramachandran and Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala had become the laughing stock of the public after a police investigation revealed that Youth Congress leader G. Leena had orchestrated the attack on her house.
The police had arrested her son in connection with the attack that came on the heels of the murder of two DYFI activists at Venjaramoodu on Onam eve. The Congress had attempted to foist the attack on the CPI(M) but failed.
