Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has restated the party’s claim that the BJP and CPI(M) have struck a “deal” before the upcoming Kerala Assembly election on April 9. Chennithala revealed that the alleged agreement involves Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a matter that has sparked widespread discussion among the public.
The accusation of a clandestine understanding between the BJP and CPI(M) has been consistently raised by Kerala Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan and other senior Congress figures, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. They assert that the LDF, led by CPI(M), and the BJP have a covert arrangement in approximately 10 constituencies in Kerala.
Chennithala went on to accuse the BJP and CPI(M) of obstructing the Congress from regaining power in the state, highlighting their joint efforts during the 2021 elections. He emphasized that while PM Modi aimed for a ‘Congress Mukt Bharat,’ the Chief Minister sought to prevent the Congress from returning to power, aligning their goals for the current election.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) last held power in Kerala from 2011 to 2016 before the LDF claimed victory in the 2016 Assembly polls. Chennithala expressed optimism about the UDF’s prospects in the upcoming election, asserting their confidence in overcoming the alleged BJP-CPI(M) arrangement and securing a win.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had previously responded to Congress’ allegations by questioning Kerala LoP Satheesan’s purported connections with the RSS. Vijayan raised concerns about Satheesan’s involvement in an RSS-organized event in 2006, where he reportedly participated in a ceremony honoring M.S. Golwalkar.
Regarding the Sabarimala alleged gold theft case, Chennithala remarked on the disillusionment among the public with the CPI(M)’s stance on the issue.
