V D Satheesan (file)
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition in Kerala will boycott the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s fourth-anniversary celebrations.

The UDF will launch a parallel campaign to counter the LDF’s “publicity blitz at taxpayers’ expenses.” It has urged Lok Sabha members, legislators, and local body representatives not to attend any government function except those concerning development in their respective constituencies.

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan told a press conference on Saturday that the LDF was “vacuuming the State’s depleted treasury for political campaigning” ahead of the local body this year polls and the 2026 Assembly elections.

He said the LDF’s “profligacy knew no limits.” It has earmarked ₹15 crore for giant hoardings featuring Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he pointed out.

“The spending is just the tip of the iceberg. The LDF is pouring public money into a publicity blitz aimed at glossing over its dismal administrative failures, development stasis, scandals involving the Chief Minister’s Office and the government’s abandonment of the working classes,” he said.

‘Self-inflicted financial exigency’

Mr. Satheesan unleashed a litany of complaints against the government. He said two consecutive LDF governments had pushed the State into deep debt, and financial mismanagement, lack of thrift, and dismal tax administration had exacerbated the economic crisis.

“The self-inflicted financial exigency has manifested in a lack of medicines in hospitals. Workers could not cash in on their welfare fund board investments. The Karunya medical insurance scheme has come to a halt”, he said.

The government’s market intervention policies have failed to curb seller inflation. It owed Supplyco vendors significant amounts of money. Surcharges on fuel, power, and water and the unjustified hike in revenue fees have aggravated the living crisis. Civic works have halted due to the inability to pay public works contractors, he added.

At the same time, Mr. Satheesan said the LDF had no compunction about spending money on salaries for political appointees in various boards and the Public Service Commission (PSC).

Mr. Satheesan said wild animal raids on farmlands have crippled the rural economy. The price of cash crops has plummeted. “The government has no money to hike the minimum support price of rubber and coconut. Paddy procurement has stopped. There is no government. Mr. Vijayan has pushed Kerala into a downward spiral of decline,” he added.