Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan attempted to stoke an election-time political controversy by accusing Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener E.P. Jayarajan of having a clandestine business alliance with Union Minister of State for IT and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, Rajiv Chandrasekhar.
Addressing a press conference in Alappuzha on Sunday, Mr. Satheesan said the alleged secret pact for mutual profit explained why Mr. Jayarajan had repeatedly claimed that the Lok Sabha matchup in Kerala was between the LDF and the BJP, and the Congress was nowhere in the reckoning.
Moreover, he accused Mr. Jayarajan of giving the BJP a leg-up on its prospects in Kerala by stating that the party had fielded excellent candidates in the State.
Mr. Satheesan accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of being complicit in Mr. Jayarajan’s allegedly pro-BJP statements. He said Mr. Vijayan wanted the BJP’s help to bury the Central investigations against the government.
Contract with resort
Mr. Satheesan alleged that Mr. Chandrasekhar had entered into a contract with an Ayurveda resort in Kannur and that Mr. Jayarajan’s family had stakes in the institution. He alleged that Mr. Chandrasekhar’s interest in the institution had insulated Mr. Jayarajan’s family from income tax and Directorate of Enforcement inspections.
Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Chandrasekhar has not rejected the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) accusation. He dared Mr. Jayarajan to sue him for libel. Mr. Satheesan said he had restrained himself from releasing pictorial and documentary evidence of the business relationship because some family members of Mr. Jayarajan were involved.
Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Jayarajan’s party colleagues in Kannur had criticised his wealth accumulation at a State committee meeting of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] last year. He challenged Mr. Jayarajan to release the details of the resort’s business contract with Mr. Chandrasekhar.
Speaking to reporters in Kannur, Mr. Jayarajan said he had no personal acquaintance with Mr. Chandrasekhar. He asked Mr. Satheesan to furnish evidence of the alleged business partnership. Mr. Jayarajan reprised accusations of financial shenanigans raised by CPI(M) Independent legislator P.V. Anvar against Mr. Satheesan. Mr. Jayarajan said he had merely cautioned party workers to take the fight with the BJP seriously and not dismiss the party’s chances. He also denied sending feelers to Padmaja Venugopal to make her defect to the CPI(M).
