Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener E.P. Jayarajan appeared to have put the ruling front in a spot on polling day after he admitted somewhat ill-timely that he had met BJP’s Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar in the company of self-styled power broker T.G. Nandakumar.
The Congress seized on the “disclosure” to supercharge its election-day campaign that the LDF was in a tacit alliance with the BJP to disadvantage the UDF in Kerala.
Signs of exasperation seemed to emanate from the top CPI(M) leadership.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that Mr. Jayarajan’s geniality often caused the latter to lose guard. Mr Vijayan seemed to take exception to Mr. Nandakumar’s presence at the interaction. He said persons who innocently entertained money-minded malefactors risked adverse political optics.
Mr. Vijayan did not see any fault in rival politicians being civil to each other. “I have interacted with Mr. Javadekar at some public venues. Being civil is not a crime.” Mr. Vijayan depicted the vilification campaign against Mr. Jayarajan as an attack on the LDF. He said it was the offspring of a Congress-BJP-media cabal. CPI(M) State Secretary M.V. Govindan echoed a similar sentiment.
However, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan refused to buy Mr. Jayarajan’s explanation that Mr. Javadekar and Mr. Nandakumar had invited themselves over, and the group discussed no politics.
He said the tête-à-tête had drawn the curtains back on the CPI(M)-BJP nexus. “It was no impromptu social call. Mr Vijayan had authorised the secret meeting”, he said.
Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Vijayan had thrown Mr Jayarajan under the bus to save face. “Mr. Vijayan had preemptively scapegoated Mr. Jayarajan to evade the onus of a crippling defeat at the hustings,” he said. Mr. Javadekar, however, refused to comment.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Sudhakaran had stirred up a storm on Thursday, accusing Mr. Jayarajan of secretly plotting to defect to the BJP by opening a secret communication channel with the party’s leadership.
He had sought to offset the CPI(M) campaign that Mr. Sudhakaran was Sangh Parivar’s face in the Congress and would soon join the BJP.
The LDF suddenly found itself in a quandary after BJP leader Shobha Surendran endorsed Mr. Sudhakaran’s accusation.
Both leaders said Mr. Jayarajan had backtracked at the last minute, fearing violent reprisal from the CPI(M) leadership.
AICC (organisation) general secretary K.C. Venugopal said Mr.. Jayarajan had met Mr. Javadekar with the knowledge of Mr. Vijayan.
The Congress leader said this exposed a “clear-cut deal” between the CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala.
