AK Antony: Third Pinarayi term will halt Kerala's growth; BJP unfit

Veteran Congress leader AK Antony slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan govt, warning a third term would stall development. He called BJP unfit for Kerala and predicted a UDF victory, citing public anger, the state's declining economy and youth exodus.

Veteran Congress leader A K Antony, who served as Chief Minister of Kerala thrice, on Tuesday said that if a government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan comes to power for a third time, the development of the State will come to a standstill.

'BJP not suited for the soil of Kerala'

Addressing a press conference at the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, Antony also said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "is not suited for the soil of Kerala, known for its communal amity." "The Bharatiya Janata Party is not suited to the soil of Keralam, which is known for its communal harmony. Keralam is a land of love, happiness, and respect for all cultures, where diverse religions and traditions are valued. It is also the land of Sree Narayana Guru," he said.

The BJP, the former Union Minister said cannot secure a seat in Keralam. "The BJP is not a party suited for this land. Kerala is known for its communal harmony, and there is no space here for caste-based divisions. The Prime Minister is visiting, there are large gatherings and huge amounts of money being spent, but I do not see the BJP winning even a single seat in Kerala," he said

The veteran leader predicted a victory for the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the upcoming April 9 Assembly elections, asserting that the people of Kerala are "angry and suffocated" after ten years of Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule.

'An invisible Chief Minister'

Drawing a sharp contrast with former administrations in Kerala, Antony accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of being inaccessible to the public. "There was a time in Kerala when any citizen could walk into the Secretariat between 3 PM and 5 PM to meet the CM or ministers without an appointment. Today, we have an invisible Chief Minister who hides behind PR advertisements and hates meeting the people. He has become a leader who lives in a bubble of hatred," Antony said.

Antony first assumed office on April 27, 1977 as the youngest chief minnister before resigning on October 27, 1978. His second term as CM ranged between March 22, 1995 to May 9, 1996 followed by a third term in which he served from May 17, 2001 to August 29, 2004.

He also served as the Leader of the Opposition (1996-2001) in the Kerala Legislative Assembly and has the distinction of being the longest serving Defence Minister under PM Manmohan Singh.

'Kerala could go the way of Bengal'

"If there is another term for the current government, Kerala could go the way of Bengal. I do not want the BJP to come to power after the Left collapses. But if the Left has to survive in Kerala, the rule under Pinarayi Vijayan must come to an end," Antony said.

However, the Congress leader said that he does not want to see the Left annihilated. "I don't want it to be destroyed... None of us want that. So, the left must not be destroyed. The left must stand. If the left has to stand in Kerala, if there has to be a movement, it has to end the Pinarayi revolution. There has to be a change in the government. If that happens, there will be a purification in the left," the veteran Congress leader said.

Concerns over economy and youth exodus

Expressing grave concern over the state's economic health and the mass exodus of youth, Antony claimed Kerala is lagging behind its southern neighbours. "While Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana are racing ahead in development, Kerala's treasury has dried up. There are no jobs here. Our children are fleeing abroad. If this continues, Kerala will become a wasteland inhabited by people from other states, and the identity of the Malayali will be destroyed," he warned.

The Perumbavoor example

Antony used Perumbavoor, a town in Ernakulam district known for its massive migrant labour population, as a stark sociological example to illustrate his warning about the "destruction" of Kerala's identity under the current government's policies.

"Our youth are moving to Silicon Valley while our state is being filled by people from Assam and Bihar because there are no jobs here for our own," Antony said. He warned that if the LDF returns for a third term, the entire state would transform into a hub for migrant labour where the "Malayali will be a minority in his own land," much like the current demographic landscape of Perumbavoor.

"This is not development; this is the destruction of our heritage," the veteran leader added. Antony pointed out that if a person walks through the streets of Perumbavoor today, they will see that the signboards on shops and businesses are no longer primarily in Malayalam. Instead, he noted that the town is now dominated by signboards in Hindi, Bengali, and Assamese.

'No real communists left in Kerala'

Commenting on the current state of the CPI(M), Antony referenced a famous political book by Milovan Djilas, critiquing communist bureaucracies. "There are no real communists left in Kerala. They have become a 'New Class' of elitist bureaucrats and commissioners.

"Earlier, there were UDF rebels. But, this time most of the rebels are contesting from the left. SFI's founding president G Sudhakaran, is contesting with UDF support against the Left The situation is no different in Payyannur and Palakkad. Left companions and cultural leaders are bidding farewell to the party," Antony said.

V Kunhikrishnan, a former CPI(M) Kannur district committee member who was expelled from the CPI (M) is contesting as an independent candidate, with support from UDF, in Payyannur in Kannur against the incumbent CPI (M) MLA Madhusoodan.

T K Govinddan, a former CPI(M) district secretariat member who quit the CPI (M) is contesting as an independent candidate from Taliparamba in Kannur. Former CPI(M) MLA from Shornur, PK. Sasi is this time contesting as an Independent, backed by the UDF from Ottapalam

Alleges 'soft' reception for Pinarayi from PMO

Meanwhile, Antony has also reiterated what other Congress leaders has said about an understanding between the BJP and the Marxist party in Keralam. "The BJP's only goal is to ensure the UDF does not win. Why is the Kerala CM the only opposition leader who gets a 'soft' reception from the PMO while others face heat? There is a reason for this comfort between Modi and Pinarayi. However, the soil of Kerala will never allow the BJP's communal ideology to grow," he added.

Predicts UDF government

Further, the veteran Congress leader termed the LDF rule as a "10-year caretaker government" that failed to act. "The people are the caretakers of democracy. They have decided that 10 years is enough," he said.

"The Left government's tenure in Kerala is coming to an end, and there will be no continuation. By the end of May, it will be a UDF government taking oath at Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, led by a leader from the Indian National Congress," Antony said. Counting of votes for the 140-member Kerala Assembly is set for May 4. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)