Mullaperiyar may be hot poll topic at Piravom

KOCHI: With Mullaperiyar dam issue assuming centre stage, the UDF and the  LDF are trying to rope in the sentiments of the people in favour of them in the coming Piravom byelections. Both the LDF and the UDF candidates - M J Jacob and Anoop Jacob - have visited Idukki and expressed solidarity with the people. They visited Chappath and Vandiperiyar in Idukki on Friday pledging support   to the ongoing protests. Though both the candidates maintain that they had visited the region to express solidarity with the people, the leaders of the  respective parties note that Mullaperiyar issue would be a hot issue in the campaign. “Along with other issues, Mullaperiyar will also be discussed during the campaign,” CPM district secretary M V Govindan said. He added that more than  politics, the issue had a humanitarian element and the safety of the people was of great concern.“The centre should act at the earliest to solve the issue”, he said. However, DCC president V J Paulose said there was no scope for Mullaperiyar  issue to be a topic of hot discussion. “Both the ruling and the Opposition are together in the issue. But, along with other issues, Mullaperiyar may also be discussed. We would focus more on the UDF government’s welfare activities,” he said.   M J Jacob said,”Everybody is concerned about the dam. I am going there to express solidarity with the people. As like other issues, Mullaperiyar dam will also come up during the campaign,” he said.    Anoop Jacob is also of the opinion that Mullaperiyar issue would be talked much during the campaign days. But, he said there was no need to mix the issue with elections. “I will be in Idukki for two days to take part in the agitation by party workers at Chappath,” he said. The Kerala Congress (Jacob) has already organised a hunger strike at High Court Junction in Kochi on Wednesday. The party has said that the Centre should act more effectively on the issue. They are also planning to form a human chain in the constituency. The LDF has already organised a human chain in the streets of Piravom and Koothattukulam in support of a new dam. It has also planned a human human chain from Mullaperiyar to Kochi next week.