Kerala CM should quit after poll drubbing, says Congress

Kerala state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala has called for the resignation of the state Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan from the post following the defeat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist led left front in the local body elections.

Chennithala while speaking exclusively to rediff.com at the Congress state headquarters said "The chief minister should resign from his post following the drubbing received by the CPI-M led LDF in the local body polls.The CPI-M has already said that the local body polls would be a referendum on the four-and-half year-old government and accepting the defeat the chief minister should quit his post".

Chennithala, who has become the longest serving KPCC president after he was unanimously selected, said "The CPI-M has a good organizational network and they have worked hard in the local body polls. However their anti-development activities and the party's failure in all fronts of governance has resulted in the people of the state rejecting them " The Congress leader said "The Congress has wrested the Thrissur and Kochi corporation from the LDF after 35 years and this in itself shows how the CPI-M was drubbed in the polls."

Bharatiya Janata Party state president V Muraleedharan said, "The BJP has improved its tally in all corporations and municipalities of the state. The BJP has become a decisive force in several municipalities and will determine who should rule these municipalities. The LDF government was a total failure and the people have vented their ire at this government by voting to the Congress- led-UDF, which is no better. However the people voted for the UDF, not because of the merit of the Congress but because they did not find any credible alternative."

He added "The people have given their mandate to the BJP wherever the party was found to be a credible alternative."

The CPI-M state leadership maintained that the party has done well despite the onslaught of all communal forces against the party and the LDF. The state secretariat in a statement issued said that the people have reposed the faith in the Left Front government.