LDF's rule a saga of wasted opportunities: Chandy

The political rhetoric of Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan is not going to help the ruling Left Democratic Front in its 'losing battle' for the assembly polls as the people of Kerala were keen on a change, senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy said on Monday.

"The LDF rule in the last five years has been a saga of wasted opportunities. After doing precious little, Achuthanandan now asserts that he will take the corrupt to task and send sexual exploiters to prison. The voters are not going to be bluffed  by this," Chandy, United Democratic Front's chief ministerial probable, told mediapersons.

"In 2006, Achuthanandan led the LDF as the opposition leader and people believed him to a great extent. Now the LDF is seeking a fresh mandate after proving a flop on all fronts. Achuthanandan's pompousness is not going to click this time," he said.

"While thundering down on corruption and morality, Achuchtnanandan did not even bother to give a credible reply to charges of corruption levelled by the opposition against issues directly concerning his own departments. For instance, he had chosen to remain silent on transfer of the state data centre to a big Indian business house overlooking the public sector," he said.

Chandy, who headed the UDF ministry in 2004-06, said the coalition would repeat its sterling performance of 2009 Lok Sabha elections and the civic polls last year. "The UDF was fighting the polls on the twin agenda of 'development and care' to make the state a major investor- friendly destination without compromising the welfare of less privileged sections," he said.

"Under the LDF rule, the state's economic growth plummeted and it slipped to 17th position among the Indian states in attracting investment. The UDF was certain that the people would entrust it with the hard task of putting the state on a fast-track mode in all sectors," he added.