Published 11:06 IST, March 5th 2021
Kerala Polls: CM steps up attack on BJP for 'violating' ECI's Moral Code of Conduct
Ahead of Kerala polls, CM Vijayan slammed the central govt and said that FM Nirmala Sitharaman during her visit to state had violated the Moral Code of Conduct
- India News
- 3 min read
Alleging that the Model Code of Conduct was violated by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her visit to Kerala, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the former is attempting to attack' his government by using Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Pinarayi Vijayan said, "Model Code of Conduct is in force in Kerala, which aims to ensure providing an equal playing field to all parties. But some things are happening here against it. Sitharaman came here & made some baseless allegations. She made a speech against KIIFB, which is an initiative for development. As she knows her allegations didn't make any sense, she has now attempted to attack the state govt by using ED."
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan slams BJP-led central govt
Stating that some officers of central agencies are showing overenthusiasm, CM Vijayan said that of KIIFB officials do not give statements, the probing agencies behave in such a manner as if they would attack physically. Clarifying that KIIFB had issued Masala Bonds after obtaining permission from RBI and is also following all norms, he said that the state Finance Minister has explained it.
As the political tensions between the ruling and the Opposition parties in the state rise ahead of Kerala polls, the Chief Minister said that if anyone will attack his government with false allegations, he won't allow it. He said, "We don't have the culture of surrender."
Kerala polls
In the 2016 Kerala Assembly election, the CPI(M)-led Left Front swept the 140-member Assembly by bagging 91 seats. In contrast, the candidates of the UDF could win from only 47 constituencies. On the other hand, BJP failed to make an impact with only O Rajagopal winning from the Nemom constituency. Subsequently, CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Kerala on May 25, 2016.
The UDF's campaign in the 2019 General Election received a shot in the arm after ex-Congress president Rahul Gandhi decided to contest from the Wayanad parliamentary constituency as well. Ultimately, the result was in favour of UDF which won 19 out of the 20 Lok Sabha seats. However, the Left Front again showcased their strength in the local body polls held in December 2020 by winning 7,262 seats as against that of UDF and NDA that could win 5,893 and 1,182 seats respectively. This assumes significance as the Kerala government has faced a lot of criticism over allegations of corruption in the gold smuggling scam.
Announcing the dates of the Assembly polls on February 26, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora mentioned that 18.68 crore persons will decide the fate of 824 seats in the aforesaid 4 States and one Union Territory at 2.7 lakh polling stations. In Kerala, 140 seats are up for grabs and people will be able to cast their votes at 40,771 polling stations. While the polling will be conducted in a single phase on April 6, the counting of votes is scheduled for May 2. A day earlier, the Kerala CM sought the EC's intervention to ensure that the Central investigative agencies act in a "politically neutral manner".
Ahead of Kerala polls CM Vijayan slams Centre; says 'it violated Moral Code of Conduct'
Updated 11:06 IST, March 5th 2021
