A miniature version of the famed Thrissur Pooram festival of Kerala is likely to be performed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Thrissur on January 3 to draw his attention to an ongoing row over the rent hike of the Pooram ground.
The Cochin Devaswom Board increased the rent for the Thrissur Pooram exhibition ground from around Rs 40 lakhs to Rs 2 crore. The Paramekavu and Thiruvambady devaswoms, which are the key organisers of the Thrissur Pooram, had strongly objected to the decision and also stated that they would be forced to scale down the Pooram due to the high cost.
Deliberations held in the presence of state ministers remained inconclusive as the Kerala High Court had also taken up the matter suo moto.
Hence, the Paramekavu Devaswom has come up with the idea of staging a mini Pooram with around 15 elephants during the Prime Minister's visit to draw his attention to the row. With the Lok Sabha elections approaching and Thrissur being one of the hopeful constituencies for the BJP in the polls, the move assumes more significance. The Congress and BJP had already launched protests against the rent hike, putting the ruling CPI(M) in a tight spot.
Meanwhile, Modi's visit could kick off the BJP's electioneering in Kerala. Thrissur is one of the few constituencies in Kerala where the BJP is pinning high hopes on opening an account in the Lok Sabha. Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi has already started his electioneering in the central Kerala district.
Published 28 December 2023, 16:56 IST