Kochi (Kerala), March 29 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday reiterated the party’s previous allegation that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and CPI(M) are engaged in a “deal” in the run-up to the Assembly election in the state on April 9.

Chennithala told IANS, “Yes, there is a deal between the BJP and the CPI(M). Actually, the deal is between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. We have exposed this, and people are discussing the issue widely.”

Significantly, the charge has been repeatedly raised by Kerala Leader of Opposition (LoP) V.D. Satheesan, along with senior Congress leaders, including party President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who have claimed that the CPI(M)-led LDF and the BJP have a “secret deal” in around 10 Assembly constituencies in Kerala.

Ramesh Chennithala further accused the BJP and the CPI(M) of preventing Congress’ return to power in the state.

He said, “In the last 2021 election, there was a complete deal on this. PM Modi wanted a ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’, while the Chief Minister wanted Congress not to come back to power. So both these views are coming together in this election. People understood this.”

Notably, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) was last in power in Kerala from 2011-2016, before the Left Democratic Front (LDF) won the 2016 Assembly elections.

Chennithala also expressed confidence that UDF will emerge victorious in the upcoming polls.

He said, “We are very confident that this (alleged deal between CPI(M) and BJP) arrangement will not work and we will come to power.”

“UDF will come back with a good majority, and we will form a government. We are very confident,” he asserted.

Earlier, in response to allegations by the Congress, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had questioned Kerala LoP Satheesan’s alleged links with the RSS

Through a Facebook post, CM Vijayan asked what “deal” was behind Satheesan’s participation as the guest at an RSS-organised M.S. Golwalkar birth centenary event held at Paravur in 2006, where he is said to have lit a ceremonial lamp after bowing before a portrait of Golwalkar.

Meanwhile, about the Sabarimala alleged gold theft case, Ramesh Chennithala said, “Sabarimala is a hot topic. People are totally disillusioned with the stand taken by the CPI(M).”

–IANS

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