Thiruvananthapuram, May 5 (IANS) Congress MP Jebi Mather on Tuesday attributed the defeat of CPI-M-led Left Democratic Alliance (LDF) in the Assembly polls to their “corrupt PR exercise”, saying public understands real work.

Mather, a Rajya Sabha member, was hopeful that the Congress’s performance in Kerala would “trigger” victory in the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to IANS, Mather termed the Congress-led United Democratic Alliance’s (UDA) comeback in Kerala as a “spectacular victory gifted by the people”.

She said that now it is the alliance’s turn to fulfil the promises they have made to the public as well as ensure their development and welfare.

On the reasons that led to the defeat of the incumbent CPI-M-led Left alliance, Mather contended that there were multiple factors.

“Anti-incumbency is definitely there. The corrupt PR stunt exercise by Pinarayi Vijayan as a Chief Minister, I think, has helped us gain victory,” she said.

“Every 50 metres, there were huge hoardings with only the CM’s face (Vijayan). It was a reminder for the people of Kerala that they don’t want a disaster in 2026 also. People will understand if we have done real work. This reflects that only PR exercise won’t help.”

On the LDF winning just 35 seats, she said: “They will find it difficult to even appoint a Leader of Opposition from CPI-M. Most of the Ministers from outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s cabinet have also lost.”

Mather held on to the Congress’s stand that CPI-M and the BJP had a “deal”.

“We were able to overcome these underhand dealings,” she said.

Among the three seats that the BJP won in Kerala, the Congress MP pointed out that in two of them, Cabinet Ministers of the LDF government were defeated.

“People of Kerala have realised all that understanding is not holding any water.”

She also asserted that due process will be followed to pick the CM before the swearing-in is held.

Mather also accused the BJP of “mismanaging” central agencies in Assam and West Bengal.

“Particularly in Assam, the delimitation exercise was done keeping in mind that only the BJP should win. That is what they (BJP) wanted to do at the national level, bringing in delimitation under the garb of women’s reservation,” she alleged.

Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, she accused the BJP of going to any extent to “gain, control and retain power”.

“They should understand that there is something called fairness in democracy. All this is not forever,” she said.

Moreover, she asserted: “With Kerala, it (change) has begun. This will trigger the victory towards the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.”

Mather said that the Congress-led UDF’s victory in Kerala should motivate party leaders and workers across the country.

She also mentioned that the debutant TVK’s victory in Tamil Nadu was “totally unexpected.”

“We have to accept the people’s verdict there. I am sure they will stand in the larger interest of protecting secularism and the Constitution of India,” she said.

–IANS

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