LDF grassroots to counter Rahul Gandhi

KOZHIKODE: LDF will unleash a grassroots level offensive in Wayanad, fully deploying the might of the party machinery and focusing on agrarian crisis, to counter the edge being enjoyed by the UDF in the constituency following the candidature of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
The LDF will make use of one lakh workers under 15,000 squads in the constituency on April 14 during which the party workers will visit all the houses in the constituency.As many as 10 squads will be present in a single booth.
The LDF is focusing on agrarian issues to train its guns on Rahul to point out that the pro- liberalization policies of the previous UPA governments were responsible for the agrarian crisis in Wayanad.
“LDF workers will visit all the houses and shops in the constituency. We will distribute pamphlets titled ‘Will you tender apology to the people of Wayanad before seeking votes’ exposing the role played by Congress in framing the economic and anti-farmer policies, which pushed the farmers to distress in Wayanad. The district has seen over 3,000 farmer suicides during the past 18 years. Rahul and the Congress cannot absolve themselves of the responsibility for causing such a crisis,” CPM leader and Kalpetta MLA C K Saseendran said.
Taking forward the farmer focus of its campaign, the LDF will organize a Farmers’ Parliament at Pulpally on April 12 and at Nilambur on April 13, where thousands of farmers are expected to attend.
CPI leader Sathyan Mokeri said that despite the distress in the farm sector, the Congress had no intention to roll back the ASEAN treaty, which had caused the price fall of pepper, coffee and rubber.
Saseendran said that the CPM government had taken concrete steps to address the agricultural crisis in the constituency. He listed out the Rs 100 crore package for coffee farmers and Rs 10 crore initiative rolled out to support the pepper farmers.
To energize the LDF’s campaign machinery, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will attend a road show in Kalpetta on Thursday.