Kerala's Vizhinjam International Port, a long-awaited dream, has become a reality, sparking a political tussle between the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
The ruling Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPM government is celebrating the project's completion, while the Congress, currently in opposition, insists it deserves credit. They argue that the project only materialized because the Oommen Chandy-led Congress government signed an agreement with Adani Ports in 2015 through a global tendering process.
Congress also criticizes the Vijayan government for not inviting opposition leader V D Satheesan to the formal reception for the maiden mothership on Friday, accusing them of attempting to downplay the Congress's key role in the project's realization.
Congress supporters are circulating old newspaper articles and video footage showing the CPM's previous objections to the project. Ports Minister V N Vasavan has responded by noting that Congress Working Committee member and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, as well as local Congress MLA M Vincent, were invited to the event.
Tharoor, however, has chosen to boycott the function to express solidarity with the coastal community, which is dissatisfied with the lack of proper rehabilitation. While welcoming the port project, Tharoor urged the government to fulfill its promises regarding the rehabilitation and protection of the coastal area before the port's formal commissioning.
