"Doesn't deserve to celebrate its four years": Kerala LoP Satheesan slams CM Vijayan-led LDF govt

Kochi (Kerala) [India], April 19 (ANI): As the Kerala government is set to celebrate its fourth anniversary, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader VD Satheesan announced a boycott of the celebrations, accusing the government of misgovernance amid the state's worst-ever financial crisis.
Speaking to ANI, Satheesan alleged that the treasury is nearly shut, social welfare schemes are stalled, and yet Rs 15 crore is being spent solely on hoardings featuring the Chief Minister's photo.
"The Kerala government is celebrating its four years. The opposition in Kerala is going to boycott these celebrations because this government doesn't deserve to celebrate its four years," Satheesan said.
"The state is going through the largest fiscal crisis in its history. The treasury is almost closed. All social welfare measures are stalled. The government is spending Rs 15 crore on the hoardings of the CM's photo alone," the Congress leader said.
The Communist Party of India (M)-led LDF retained power in Kerala by winning 99 seats against 41 seats of Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the assembly polls results announced on May 2, 2021.
BJP could not open its account in the polls.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was re-elected after completing a full, five-year term in office. The 79-year-old, who joined the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) in 1964 was elected as the 12th chief minister of Kerala after LDF came to power in 2016.
The Left-Democratic Front won the polls with 41.5 per cent of vote share with UDF behind at 38.4 per cent.
Vijayan, a Polit Bureau member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) served as the secretary of the Kerala State Committee of CPI(M) from 1998 to 2015. He also served as Minister of Electricity and Co-operatives from 1996 to 1998 during E K Nayanar's tenure as chief minister of Kerala. Three times Vijayan was elected to the state Legislative Assembly in 1977, 1991 and 1996. Vijayan won from Dharmadom constituency in 2016 assembly elections and was sworn-in as the 12th Chief Minister of Kerala on May 25, 2016. (ANI)