The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : CPI(M)-BJP pact at Malampuzha: Chandy

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CPI(M)-BJP pact at Malampuzha: Chandy

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) decision not to field its candidate in Malampuzha, from where Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan is seeking re-election, is likely to snowball into a controversy, with Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy alleging that it was part of a secret understanding that stretched to the BJP-CPI(M) cooperation in national politics.

In a statement here on Friday, Mr. Chandy said the leadership of the BJP and the CPI(M) would have to do a lot of explaining in the coming days. The BJP's assertive claim that its “lotus” will flower in the State had acquired a new meaning following its decision to keep off from the fray in Malampuzha, he said.

Quoting election figures, Mr. Chandy said in 2004 Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate Uday Bhaskar had got over 23,000 votes in the Malampuzha Assembly segment of Palakkad constituency. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate C.K. Padmanabhan got 9,498 votes in the Malampuzha Assembly segment. BJP candidates have been doing well in the Assembly elections in Malampuzha constituency.

In 1991 and 2001, T. Chandrasekhar of the BJP got 7,675 votes and 5,190 votes respectively. The BJP fielded its Karshaka Morcha State president P.J. Thomas here in 2006, garnering 4,384 votes. In the recent local body elections, the BJP had put up a good performance, winning wards in Puthupirayiram, Malampuzha and Pudussery panchayats that came under this constituency, he said.

Mr. Chandy said the decision of the BJP to keep off the fray in Malampuzha at a time when it had fielded candidates in constituencies in which it did not have any presence was suspicious. He said the BJP and the CPI(M) had explicit ties in national politics.

The BJP and the Left parties were functioning shoulder to shoulder in destabilising the UPA government. They had come together during a no-confidence vote against the previous UPA government, he said.

The Opposition Leader said the BJP, which had just two seats in the Lok Sabha in 1984, was able to increase it tally to 86 in 1989. The CPI(M) along with the BJP had helped V.P. Singh to form a government leading to the third front. The CPI(M) had given up its stand that the BJP was untouchable because it was a communal party, he said.

He alleged that the LDF's new tactical line initiated in Malampuzha would soon be applied through out the State in the upcoming Assembly elections because the LDF was afraid of a massive defeat.

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