‘BJP is pressuring CPM with cases... That’s why Vijayan is attacking Rahul’

THE CONGRESS-LED UDF in Kerala is looking to repeat its 2019 Lok Sabha performance, when it won 19 of 20 seats. Like five years ago, senior leader Rahul Gandhi is a key UDF face in the state and is the party’s candidate from Wayanad. Leader of the Opposition V D SATHEESAN talks to SHAJU PHILIP about the UDF’S prospects, challenge from rivals, and Rahul’s role among other issues. Excerpts:

How do you see UDF’S prospects?

After completing the first phase of campaigning, I have seen a strong sentiment against the Centre and the state government. The BJP is losing confidence by the day. The arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and the I-T department freezing Congress’s account show BJP is jittery. Democratically conscious people have realised the concept of free and fair polls is in danger.

What about the CPM govt?

People have a strong resentment against the Pinarayi Vijayan government, which is tangible even among Left workers. The state is under the grip of its worstever financial crisis. Welfare pensions of around 62 lakh people have been pending for several months,governmenthospitalsdo not have sufficient medicines and local bodies are struggling to undertake development works due to paucity of funds. Even salaries of state government employees were delayed last month.

CPM claims Congress is not strong enough to fight BJP

Apart from the 15 seats that it contests in the state, the CPI(M) contests only a few more across the country. How can such a party fight the BJP? While CPI(M) leaders have admitted they are contesting to retain the party’s national status and election symbol, the Congress is fighting to unseat the BJP. There is a nexus between the CPI(M) and the BJP.

But CPI(M) says there is a Congress-bjp nexus

The BJP wants to weaken the Congress at the national level. That is their strategy in Kerala too. The CPI(M)-BJP nexus is evident here. What happened to the CBI petition in the Supreme Court against the discharge of Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case? It has been adjourned 38 times. Even the probes being carried out by central agencies in Life Mission case and the gold smuggling case, in which people from his (CM’S) office were involved, have reached nowhere. Now, ED has initiated a probe against Vijayan’s daughter Veena for money laundering. Using these cases, the BJP is trying to pressure the CPI(M), which is in turn forced to appease the Sangh Parivar. That is why Vijayan is attacking Rahul in BJP’S tone.

BJP has been trying to make inroads into Christian votes, seen as a Congress vote bank

The BJP is trying to split minority votes. They have sponsored some social media groups to spread Islamophobia among Christians who have realised that the propaganda is being run at the behest of the RSS. Insecurity among Christians has increased manifold since 2019 and the violence in Manipur was the turning point.

While your party promises a caste census, upper castes in Kerala are opposed to it

It’s a decision taken at the nationallevelandwewillstandbyit.