The CPM-BJP deals revealed by RSS ideologue R Balashankar has kick-started a row within and outside the BJP leadership. He had claimed that the parties had struck a deal, where the BJP would help CPM win Chengannur and Aranmula so that party state president K Surendran can win Konni. While Surendran and RSS Kerala chief Gopalan Kutty master had opposed the allegation, BJP state general secretary MT Ramesh said that the BJP-CPM nexus is not new and it had been done before.
He revealed that the two parties had a pact 15 years ago, and the current Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had been KG Marar’s booth agent when the latter contested in Uduma in 1977. Marar contested as a member of the Bhartiya Lok Dal, which was an alliance partner with CPM in 1977 before the LDF-UDF alliance was born in 1980. Following the release of the emergency prisoners, of which Marar was one, the political landscape of Kerala would change and the Bharatiya Janata Party would be formed in the state with Marar being one of its iconic leaders. He would go on to lose Manjeshwaram in 1991 for only 1,000 votes.
Moreover, senior BJP leader PP Mukundan also said that Balashankar’s allegation must be investigated since “someone senior like him will not make unnecessary claims about such serious things”. He added that K Surendran contesting at two locations despite low victory chance has also invited unnecessary focus into the matter. Moreover, Rahul Eshwar, a member of the Ayyappa Dharma Sena (ADS) said that there is right-wing extremist support for Pinarayi Vijayan as part of a long plan to bring CPM into power and eradicate Congress.
“If Pinarayi comes back to power, then there would be no Congress in Kerala, and that is what BJP wants, as it would mean that they can have a one-on-one with the Communist party. Such discussions are prominent in social media,” Rahul told a news organisation. He added that such a deal would be tantamount to betraying the people who fought to maintain the faith in Sabarimala. The Ayyappa believers are already angry at the LDF government for their attack on faith, and this, it might affect BJP as well.
