Smear campaign against us helped LDF, says Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram: Six months after losing power to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday said the smear campaign against his government by the then Left opposition helped get them to power.

Addressing reporters here, Chandy said that towards the fag end of the tenure of his United Democratic Front (UDF) government early this year, a massive smear campaign was unleashed by the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

"The media also knowingly or unknowingly joined that campaign. Now just see what's happening... they have not yet re-visited the Cabinet decisions we made towards the fag end of our tenure. They won't be able to do anything also...," said Chandy.

Citing examples, he said the clearance for the Aranmula airport was given by the then V.S. Achuthanandan government of the LDF in 2010 and now the current LDF government has cancelled that sanction.

"Also, the campaign that they launched against us vis-a-vis 'Hope Plantation' and 'Methran Kayal'? The vigilance court has cleared us. You should ask the Chief Minister why they are not coming out with their report on the decisions that my government took," said Chandy.

Chandy, however, parried questions on how he would rate the present government, as they have now completed six months. "Let the people decide on that," he said.

Ever since the defeat of the Chandy-led UDF at the 2016 assembly polls, when the LDF won 91 seats in the 140-member Kerala assembly, he has kept a low profile and rarely meets the media.

However, the former Chief Minister keeps travelling across the state and attending party meetings.

He did not accept the post of the Leader of Opposition or the Chairman of the UDF, instead chose to be just a legislator.