In anticipation of a potential loss by their candidate Jaick C Thomas in the Puthuppally bypoll, the CPM in Kerala appears to be laying the groundwork for a contingency plan, suggesting the existence of a covert alliance between the BJP and the Congress to thwart the CPM’s chances.
State Secretary M V Govindan of the CPM hinted at this possibility on Saturday, asserting, “At this point, I cannot speculate on the nature of the understanding. But if the BJP does not secure the votes it had last time, then it is clear that there was an underhand deal,” while addressing reporters in Puthuppally.
The data from the 2021 election reveal a decrease in BJP votes by 3 percent compared to the previous election, coupled with a 7 percent lead for Congress candidate Oommen Chandy over Jaick. This has led the CPM to raise suspicions that BJP votes may have shifted towards Congress.
What fuels Govindan’s suspicion of a clandestine BJP-Congress alliance is the shared declaration of the CPM as the common enemy by both parties in Kerala. Govindan stated, “The BJP has nothing to gain in this election, so they might well help the Congress to undermine the CPM.”
Additionally, Govindan accused the Congress in Kerala of quietly supporting the Centre’s policies detrimental to the state. He cited the indifference of UDF MPs, noting, “They are not only unwilling to say anything against the Centre but have not even bothered to sign a joint memorandum to be submitted to the Union finance minister detailing Kerala’s grievances.”
Nevertheless, Govindan expressed confidence in the CPM’s victory, declaring, “We will end the Congress dominance in Puthuppally.” He went on to emphasize that the by-election would serve as an evaluation of the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s performance, stating, “Any such election would definitely be a verdict on the performance of the government.”
Govindan revealed that initially, the Congress had underestimated the election as a straightforward victory, but the CPM had strategically shifted the focus from emotions to politics and development.
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