The INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc was established to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but in Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front’s (UDF) “primary concern” is to target the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and personally attack Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan while sparing the saffron party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] general secretary Sitaram Yechury has said.
Speaking to reporters in Alappuzha in Kerala on April 20, Mr. Yechury termed the stance of the Congress “very disturbing”.
“Many UDF and Congress leaders have defected to the BJP. It is a nationwide phenomenon. The BJP today is known as the new Congress. It has fielded several leaders who defected from Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress must introspect and decide what is the main target. If the BJP is the main target let’s defeat them. If its main target is the LDF and the Kerala Chief Minister, then Congress is only helping the BJP. That is the message the Congress is conveying. It is very unfortunate,” Mr. Yechury said.
The CPI(M) general secretary said targeting the Chief Minister was inappropriate. “The Kerala Chief Minister was the first one to condemn Rahul Gandhi’s suspension from Parliament. We did not go by these sorts of politics they are going by. What is the meaning of saying why the Kerala Chief Minister is being spared when Delhi and Jharkhand Chief Ministers have been arrested. The UDF can attack the policies and positions of the LDF but targeting the Chief minister is most unfortunate,” he said
He added that Mr. Vijayan and left leaders in Kerala were not like the former Congress Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir who joined the BJP fearing arrest.
Mr. Yechury said the CPI(M) was leading the attack against the BJP, and hence the UDF targeting the Chief Minister would not pay any dividend for the latter in the Lok Sabha polls. On the electoral prospects, he said the LDF would repeat the performance of the 2004 elections when it won 18 of the 20 seats in Kerala.
‘Existential threat to democracy’
Stating that democracy was facing an “existential threat”, the CPI (M) leader said the Lok Sabha polls was crucial for the future of India. “If the BJP returns to power, the Constitution will be changed. India will be converted into an intolerant fascist Hindutva country. Those who want to see India as a secular democratic republic should unite to ensure the BJP does not return to power,” he said.
On the Left parties contesting less number of seats, Mr. Yechury said the primary objective was to defeat the BJP. “The CPI(M) is contesting in 60 seats. The Left parties together have fielded candidates in around 100 seats. We are interested in saving India and the Constitutional order. We are minimising contests among the anti-BJP forces. It is a conscious political decision. Fighting less number of seats should not be mocked. It shows political maturity,” he said.
He alleged mass vote-rigging in Tripura in the first phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections.
