Now Reading: Satheesan government’s first 100 days marred by U-turns
-
01
Satheesan government’s first 100 days marred by U-turns
Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan's United Democratic Front (UDF) government, which won a massive mandate of 102 out of 140 assembly seats, has completed 100 days in power marked more by controversies…
Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan's United Democratic Front (UDF) government, which won a massive mandate of 102 out of 140 assembly seats, has completed 100 days in power marked more by controversies than achievements. The government's early missteps include a leadership tussle among top Congress figures that delayed government formation by 10 days, an appointment of the Electricity Minister's brother-in-law as private secretary which was withdrawn after public outcry, and the cancellation of a special pleader's appointment for the Travancore Devaswom Board over links to a gold theft case.
The government has also been criticised for implementing the PM SHRI scheme, a central government initiative it had opposed while in opposition, accusing the previous LDF government of a nexus with the BJP for supporting it. This has led to the government being dubbed a "U-turn sarkar" by critics. While achievements include Operation Toofan, a major anti-drug drive by the police, and the Priyadarshini scheme for free bus travel for women, the controversies have overshadowed them, leading to comparisons with former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's adversarial media stance.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The U-turn label is particularly damaging for a government that campaigned on a promise of clean, principled governance after 10 years in opposition. The PM SHRI scheme flip is the most politically significant: it was the UDF's central charge that the LDF was selling out Kerala's education to the BJP's Hindutva agenda. Adopting it now leaves the UDF open to the same accusation from its own supporters and from the Left. The real test will be whether this pattern of hasty decisions and retreats continues as the government faces its first major policy challenge: the state's mounting debt and fiscal crisis. The next budget, due in February, will show if the government can deliver on its promises without more backtracking.
Source: frontline.thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
