Alappuzha, 18 Dec (H.S.):SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan has taken a swipe at the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), remarking that the party should introspect on what it actually gained from a decade-long alliance with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Speaking to the media, he said the BDJS leadership appears to be weighing its options and considering a change of alliance, but made it clear that the SNDP would not interfere in their internal decisions.
He alleged that upper-caste voters did not support the BDJS in its allocated constituencies, and that despite “walking and campaigning till their legs were worn out,” the party did not receive any substantial benefits from its time with the NDA. “Look at what those in the Left got; BDJS got nothing comparable in the NDA,” he claimed.
According to Natesan, voices within the BDJS are in favour of shifting towards the Left Democratic Front (LDF). “They are free to take their own decision,” he stated, underscoring that the SNDP will remain neutral.
Turning to the recent controversy over songs used in political events, Natesan dismissed the row as unnecessary. “There is no use chasing after a song. Everything must be viewed with realism,” he said. He rejected suggestions that the LDF was weakened in the elections, asserting confidently that a third Pinarayi Vijayan government would return to power.
Natesan also delivered a scathing critique of Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran in the wake of the ruling front’s setback in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections. He said arrogance and lack of humility from the young mayor contributed to voter dissatisfaction.
“People lifted Arya Rajendran up, and she let it go to her head. That arrogance cost the LDF dearly,” he alleged. According to him, the administration’s behaviour towards the public was marked by high-handedness and a failure to communicate achievements effectively. “One must remain humble in power. Achievements were not conveyed to the grassroots. There was a sense of muscle-flexing instead of courteous behaviour,” he said.
Natesan also acknowledged that the BJP had succeeded in increasing its vote share in the district in the recent polls.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
