Kasaragod: The Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan, has framed his 'Puthuyuga Yatra' as a future-looking political campaign rather than a routine exercise in government criticism, as the UDF launches its statewide election campaign from Kasaragod on Friday.

Ahead of the march being flagged off from Kumbla in the Manjeshwar Assembly constituency, he said criticism of the LDF government would be restricted to just 25% of the engagement. "Seventy-five per cent of the time will be spent discussing the future of Kerala," he said.

The Yatra, he said, will unveil ambitious projects -- many unprecedented in Kerala -- while building on the State's strengths and unique capacities. Dream schemes will be announced in phases as the march progresses towards Thiruvananthapuram. These will focus on fundamental changes across sectors such as employment generation, health, education and medical education, including plans to attract foreign students and position Kerala as a global education destination.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal will flag off the 30-day journey, which will culminate in Thiruvananthapuram on March 7. Deputy Leader of Opposition P K Kunhalikutty, IUML state general secretary P M A Salam, Kerala Congress leader Mons Joseph, Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan, RSP leader and Kollam MP N K Premachandran, Palakkad MP V K Sreekandan, and MLAs P K Basheer, Anoop Jacob, Mani C Kappan, Shanimol Usman and Rajan Babu will take part in the Yatra.

"We are not inviting prominent citizens," he said, taking a dig at the Chief Minister's practice during his election yatras. "We want to meet ordinary people, those in despair, those struggling to make ends meet," Satheesan said, adding that the UDF would listen to them and make earnest efforts to find solutions.

While the UDF had already presented a charge-sheet on the government's failures ahead of the local body elections, Satheesan said the 'Puthuyuga Yatra' would be different from routine election marches. "This is not just about criticising the government or speaking politics. Nearly 75% of the time will be devoted to discussing the future of Kerala," he said.

Wherever the government has failed, the UDF will place alternative schemes before the people. These, he said, would not be mere declarations but credible, well-documented proposals prepared with the help of experts. Over the past two years, the UDF leadership has held extensive consultations with experts across sectors, including conclaves and focused meetings.

"At the same time, there will be no compromise on secularism," Satheesan said. "More than winning elections, the priority is to bury communalism." Building unity and winning the confidence of Kerala's collective conscience, he said, would be a central theme of the Yatra. He alleged that the CPM's narrative around Jamaat-e-Islami was a deliberate attempt to divide Kerala society. Referring to a recent video statement by the Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami, Satheesan said the organisation had unambiguously rejected theocracy as its objective. "But for 40 years, when they did not abandon the idea of theocracy, they were aligned with the CPM," he said.

The CPM, he said, was attacking Jamaat-e-Islami now because it was no longer aligned with them. He also recalled that the CPM had earlier described the Indian Union Muslim League as a secular democratic party. "Now the CPM has a problem with the Muslim League. But who is the League fighting against? It is fighting organisations with extreme views," he said, asking Kerala society to reflect on who would occupy that space if the Muslim League were weakened.

75% Sabarimala
He did not reveal his cards, but more than 75% of the press conference was dedicated to the UDF's trump card - Sabarimala. He said that the SIT, under pressure from the Chief Minister's office, has delayed filing the charge-sheet within 90 days to pave the way for statutory bail of the accused, who are linked to the CPM. That was the only way to get them out, from the trial court to the high court, and the Supreme Court had rejected their bail.

"Even a preliminary charge-sheet would have been enough to deny statutory bail. The failure to file one is serious," he said, adding that the accused were coming out even before the SIT could recover material evidence. "There is widespread anxiety in Kerala society that the case could collapse," he said.

Satheesan said a single bench of the High Court had already noted laxity and shortcomings in the SIT investigation, including delays in arrests, particularly during election periods. Satheesan rejected attempts to link UDF leaders to the case, stating that if posing for photographs were grounds for questioning, then the Chief Minister too should be questioned. "Did Adoor Prakash steal the gold from Sabarimala?" he asked, alleging that the controversy was being orchestrated to shield CPM leaders.

Martyrs fund and whistleblowers
In a recent election manifesto, the LDF stated it would protect whistleblowers, Satheesan said. "A whistleblower exposes scams or fraud within an organisation. V Kunhikrishnan (of Payyannur) is a whistleblower. He exposed the fraud within the party. But instead of protection, he was shown the door," said the Congress leader. He said there was a pattern in the CPM raising money in the name of slain party workers.

Money was siphoned off from the funds raised in the name of Dhanraj in Payyannur, Abhimanyu in Ernakulam, and Vishnu in Thiruvananthapuram, he said. "Vishnu's family joined the Congress yesterday. When allegations surfaced, the person responsible was temporarily removed but then given a triple promotion and brought back as CITU district secretary," he said.

Yatra route map
The 'Puthuyuga Yatra' (Journey for a New Era) will pass through all 14 districts of Kerala over 30 days. Flagged off from Kumbla in the Manjeshwar Assembly segment, the yatra will enter Kannur on February 7 and Wayanad on February 10. It will reach Kozhikode on February 11, followed by programmes in Malappuram on February 13 and Palakkad on February 16.

The UDF yatra will tour Thrissur on February 18 and 19, before entering Ernakulam district on February 20, where two days of elaborate reception programmes have been planned. The yatra will then proceed through Idukki on February 23, Kottayam on February 25, Alappuzha on February 26, Pathanamthitta on February 27, and Kollam on February 28, covering districts in south Kerala.

Entering the capital district of Thiruvananthapuram on March 4, the yatra will conclude with a grand public meeting at Putharikandam Maidan on March 7.