The culmination of 'Padayorukkam,' the mass contact programme by Kerala opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala against the policies of the central and state governments, has been postponed to a future date due to adverse weather conditions.
There are also security concerns at the venue as Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was slated to address a mammoth gathering of nearly a lakh workers on Friday. Cyclone Ockhi had triggered winds with a speed of 75 km/hour causing widespread destruction especially in Thiruvananthapuram district, where the rally was planned.
Mostly Congress workers from the district were to converge in the rally and this would have not been possible in the present circumstances, as per the UDF leadership. Congress floor managers were leaving no stone unturned to make the rally a huge success. Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor himself had hinted that the weather may dampen the spirits of the party workers. He also posted a video and picture of the venue of the concluding rally of Padayorukkam.
Video from the rally site at Shankumukham Beach today. But weather can't dampen the spirits of the @INCIndia workers who will welcome Ramesh @chennithala at Balaramapuram, Neyyattinkara &Vellarada for rallies this afternoon pic.twitter.com/XleXbxnVLZ
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 30, 2017
Padayorukkam, or the preparation for the big battle, is also significant given the emergence of Congress scion Rahul Gandhi as a potent political force ahead of the battle for the Gujarat, which is also the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Congress in Kerala was also struggling to keep going after an electoral drubbing last year. Then came the solar scam probe report which indicted Congress leaders, including former chief minister Oommen Chandy. It was in this backdrop that Padayorukkam was launched.
It now faces more hurdles as the JD(U) state unit, led by M.P. Veerendra Kumar, is hobnobbing with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).
If a new outfit is floated by Veerendra Kumar and that aligns itself with the LDF, the Congress-led
UDF will weaken further in the state.
