Thekkinkadu maidan, which is familiar to high-octane pyrotechnic shows, will witness two political fireworks in the coming days, which may kick-start the campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan will address the Janakeeya Prathirodha Jatha (People’s Resistance Rally) on March 4, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah will have a discussion with BJP leaders on March 5 at the same venue.
Mr. Shah’s public address assumes significance as Thrissur is one of the constituencies that the BJP is hoping to clinch in the 2024 general elections. The Home Minister is expected to take a decision on the candidate and will kick-start the election campaign.
Considering the impact that actor Suresh Gopi made in the last Assembly and parliamentary elections in Thrissur, there are speculations that he will be the candidate for the next election too. Moreover, the actor has maintained a regular presence in the constituency with his involvement in various social activities.
Ahead of the meetings, leaders from both the parties have targeted the other.
Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas said that the BJP is scared of the public support that the Janakeeya Prathirodha Jatha has been receiving in the State. The public meeting of Mr. Shah, the very next day of Jatha’s arrival here, points to that fear.
“They are set to spread hatred and false propaganda ahead of the elections. Their objective is to destroy secular India,” he added.
Countering Mr. Riyas’s statement, BJP secretary K. Surendran said the Minister’s statement only reflects the LDF government’s insecurities. “Mr. Amit Shah is coming to expose the LDF, which has been torpedoing the central projects. The public meeting is part of the campaign to reveal the corruption and communal policies of the LDF government.”
“People who are corrupt and who promote communal policies are scared of Amit Shah. The Janakeeya Prathirodha Jatha is meant to protect the image of the Chief Minister and the LDF government, which is immersed in corruption,” he said.
