The CPI(M) has sensed a political opportunity in the series of scams hitting the ruling UDF as party leader Pinarayi Vijayan marches on a month-long “Nava Kerala” yatra across the length of poll-bound Kerala.

The march was kicked off at Manjeswaram in the northern-most district of Kasaragode on January 15 and ends in Thiruvananthapuram on February 14.

The optimism of the top leadership has clearly percolated down to the cadre as hundreds of raucous partymen throng Vijayan’s march. A cavalcade of assorted vehicles draped in familiar red flags and festoons are drawing in the kind of enthusiasm a political party on the move exudes.

Already fighting strong anti-incumbency, the restive ruling coalition finds itself vulnerable thanks to the alleged grave instances of moral turpitude on issues ranging from bar, beer, sleaze and solar energy.

“The UDF has not spared even the solar space in its insatiable greed for slush money,” Vijayan told BusinessLine in a recent interaction at Amballoor, Thrissur. “Ours is more than a conventional pre-poll march. The march is getting an increasingly favourable response from all sections of society,” he said.

For instance, just the previous day, on the way to Chelakkara, a large throng of people including women and children were seen waiting patiently and waving at the march with great enthusiasm.

Striking a chord “These scenes lead us to believe that it (the march) has struck a chord with the public at large — something we could not achieve so early in pre-poll yatras,” says the 72-year-old, who is widely believed to be the CPI(M)’s chief ministerial candidate.

“People have welcomed the march whose mission of a corruption-free, secular, rising Kerala seems to resonate with their aspirations.”

The slogan for the march, mari chinthikoo, mattam srishtikkoo (think smart, drive the change), has been found to be inspirational.

This has ensured large participation of young people at all roadside meetings. This, too, marks a crucial break from the past.

Similarly, participation of women has also been on the higher side and they take up more than 70 per cent of the space at some venues. This is unprecedented.

“We’ve been electrified by the sight of children as well as the elderly brave the blistering heat to make their way to the venues,” said the veteran Communist leader.

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