LDF boycotts boat race

KOLLAM: Leaders of the LDF left the President’s Trophy boat race venue in a huff alleging that the organisers had sidelined people’s representatives. Kollam Mayor Prasanna Earnest said that LDF was boycotting the event. The LDF leaders walked out of the main pavilion soon after chief guest Sania Mirza left after inaugurating the race. They said that their main protest was against the organisers’ failure to invite Kollam MLA P K Gurudasan to address the inaugural function. K N Balagopal MP, former minister N K Premachandran, RSP State secretary A A Azeez and Deputy Mayor G Lalu were among those who walked out. Balagopal alleged that the boat race had been hijacked by the Congress and the event looked like a meeting of Congress leaders. Premachandran said it was indeed unfortunate that local MLA Gurudasan was ignored and not allowed to address the function.