Thiruvananthapuram: As leaders in Kerala launched themselves fully into campaign mode for the upcoming assembly polls, Left leaders said that the manner in which the Congress was campaigning in Kerala, using helicopters, was questionable.
"The Congress has one helicopter for Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala and another for [Opposition leader] Oommen Chandy. Chennithala travels from his Haripad constituency to [Kerala Congress-M leader] K.M. Mani's constituency, Pala by helicopter. Earlier we all used to travel by car, and we still travel by car. But Congress leaders are now travelling by helicopter", chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan said at an election campaign speech yesterday.
The chief minister went on to rail the Congress leadership by stating that the Congress had benefited through all the scams and that one could expect helicopters for all districts in the state instead of the current two helicopters.
Federal minister of state for home Mullappally Ramachandran, said he was not aware of the Congress leaders in Kerala using helicopters.
Complete turn-around
"Helicopters have been used by all parties in north India, including in West Bengal for many years", Ramachandran said, adding that he was not aware of anyone using it in Kerala.
The helicopter controversy comes at a time when the Left Democratic Front is facing trouble in Kerala following the desertion of several of its leaders, including former Students Federation of India state president Sindhu Joy.
Joy spoke to parishioners at the Lourdes Church yesterday, stating that she had always been close to the church and that priests and nuns close to her knew her close links with the church.
"I want to be buried in the cemetery, and not in front of the party office", Joy said during her speech in the church premises, pouring scorn on the Communist Party of India Marxist.
Joy has done a complete about-around, stating that she was completely sidelined by the CPM for reasons not clear to her, and that she would wholeheartedly support the United Democratic Front.
The decision also means that she will be on the other side of the private self-financing colleges issue, which had been close to her heart for over a decade.
The CPM and the Catholic church have been bitter rivals in the issue of private self-financing colleges in the state.
"The Congress has one helicopter for Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala and another for [Opposition leader] Oommen Chandy. Chennithala travels from his Haripad constituency to [Kerala Congress-M leader] K.M. Mani's constituency, Pala by helicopter. Earlier we all used to travel by car, and we still travel by car. But Congress leaders are now travelling by helicopter", chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan said at an election campaign speech yesterday.
The chief minister went on to rail the Congress leadership by stating that the Congress had benefited through all the scams and that one could expect helicopters for all districts in the state instead of the current two helicopters.
Federal minister of state for home Mullappally Ramachandran, said he was not aware of the Congress leaders in Kerala using helicopters.
Complete turn-around
"Helicopters have been used by all parties in north India, including in West Bengal for many years", Ramachandran said, adding that he was not aware of anyone using it in Kerala.
The helicopter controversy comes at a time when the Left Democratic Front is facing trouble in Kerala following the desertion of several of its leaders, including former Students Federation of India state president Sindhu Joy.
Joy spoke to parishioners at the Lourdes Church yesterday, stating that she had always been close to the church and that priests and nuns close to her knew her close links with the church.
"I want to be buried in the cemetery, and not in front of the party office", Joy said during her speech in the church premises, pouring scorn on the Communist Party of India Marxist.
Joy has done a complete about-around, stating that she was completely sidelined by the CPM for reasons not clear to her, and that she would wholeheartedly support the United Democratic Front.
The decision also means that she will be on the other side of the private self-financing colleges issue, which had been close to her heart for over a decade.
The CPM and the Catholic church have been bitter rivals in the issue of private self-financing colleges in the state.
