CPM and Congress Spar over Palakkad By-Poll Results

 Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling CPM and the opposition Congress in Kerala continued to spar over the results of the Palakkad assembly by-elections.

While the Congress celebrates a significant victory over the BJP in Palakkad, the CPM credits their win to backing from Muslim fundamentalist groups such as the SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami.

Kerala Assembly's Opposition Leader, V D Satheesan, accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPM leadership of attributing their victory to the backing of Muslim hardline groups, aiming to foster majority communalism in the state.

"Chief Minister seems greatly perturbed by the BJP's defeat in the Palakkad bypoll, where the BJP's vote share fell by 10,671 votes. He resorted to playing the minority card by raising the CAA issue during the Lok Sabha elections. However, the CPM-led LDF experienced a near wipeout, securing only one seat out of 20," he stated.

Satheeshan stated that with the minority communal card not succeeding in the Lok Sabha, the CPM is now attempting to appease the sentiments of the majority community. He claimed that the chief minister's assertions are baseless. The CPM's vote share has remained between 36,000 and 38,000 in the last three assembly elections. Conversely, the UDF's vote share has increased by 6.21 percent. The BJP's vote share has decreased by 6.71 percent, suggesting that a significant number of voters have shifted their support to the Congress this time. The CPM cannot boast of such a gain, as its increase is merely marginal at 1.64 percent.

"Our stance is secular, and we do not endorse communalism, whether from the majority or the minority. The CPM's decision to place an advertisement in two Muslim-backed newspapers on the eve of the Palakkad elections is regrettable. These advertisements highlighted the anti-Muslim social media posts of Sandeep Varier, who switched from the BJP to the Congress, seemingly to aid the BJP.

"What type of communist party is the CPM? It seems to be adopting a right-wing stance in Kerala," he stated.

M B Rajesh, the CPM leader and Kerala's minister for local self-government, reiterated the accusation that the Congress secured the support of Muslim hardline organizations like the SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami to win the Palakkad assembly by-election. The SDPI's overt celebration of the Congress's victory in Palakkad serves as a warning to secular Kerala. He claimed that Congress leaders avoided publicly declaring their refusal of support from the SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami.

The minister accused the Congress of playing a dangerous game by fostering Muslim hardline organizations in Kerala, a move that could undermine the state's secular ethos.