Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Getting ready for elections?

EARLY THIS week, political and bureaucratic circles were abuzz with reports of an early Assembly election, possibly in December. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's volte face on the State's long- standing demand for a High Court Bench in the capital seems to have fuelled the rumours.

Mr. Chandy who had all along insisted that it was up to the Centre to take a decision on the matter, suddenly took the initiative to write to Union Law Minister H. R. Bharadwaj, highlighting the demand. Several organisations which had been campaigning for the High Court Bench admitted that they were taken aback by Mr. Chandy's plea to the Centre.

The Government's haste to push the Vizhinjam project and the decision to expedite land acquisition for the City Roads Development Scheme are also seen as early indicators of the UDF machinery going into campaign mode. The defeat of the no- confidence motion in the Assembly and the success in nailing the Opposition on the SNC Lavalin issue are considered to be favourable factors for the UDF.

The question is whether the hyperactivity is aimed at early Assembly polls or the impending elections to the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat.

T. Nandakumar

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

`Yatra' to set election ball rolling
Non-availability of seats on flights to Gulf
LDF to oppose ban on demonstrations
Fellowships for research on Kerala history
Youth hacked to death
Thousands offer `bali'
Lok Ayukta directs issue of notices to KSRTC officials
Getting ready for elections?
Interest cut on loans to be taken up with Centre
Call to prioritise growth of city
Of guns and cops
Water levels in reservoirs increase
Laughing away all worries
The best of times, yet the worst
For love of nature
Vaccination: cash prizes for women volunteers
Curtains come down on TIFF
Around the City
In Thiruvananthapuram Today

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu