Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said on Wednesday that the CPI(M) had paid the BJP an enormous compliment by identifying the latter as the primary political rival in Kerala.
It was also a comment on the fragile state of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition in the State. The UDF was on a terminal decline. It could offer no meaningful political Opposition to the CPI(M), he said.
The All India Congress Committee was struggling to keep potential deserters within the party fold. It had issued a diktat recently to pre-empt the embarrassment of Congress leaders sharing the dais with the CPI(M) top brass at the party congress in Kannur. Moreover, Congress leaders broke ranks with their party to join the CPI(M) in droves, he said.
The BJP was the sole bulwark against the thuggery of the CPI(M). The party has effectively stymied CPI(M)’s assault on faith and nationhood. The BJP in Kerala was on the warpath against the CPI(M) bid to dispossess people of their land and homes for SilverLine, he said.
Mr. Muraleedharan questioned the credibility of CPI(M)’s pro-Dalit stance. The BJP had scores of Dalit general secretaries and State-level office-bearers. The Union Cabinet boasted 12 Dalits. The CPI(M) had no Dailt representation in the Polit Bureau. Yet, the CPI(M) has no qualms in attempting to brand the BJP as an upper-caste party.
