Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran has said that the Congress is not averse to striking a political deal with the CPI(M) in Kerala. “We are willing to join hands with the CPI(M) in the fight against fascism and communalism. But there is one condition: they should stop violence first,” Mr. Ramachandran said here on Sunday.
The Congress Janamaha Yatra led by Mr. Ramachandran was given a reception here. The KPCC leader said that ending politics of violence was the only pre-condition for striking a deal with the CPI(M) even in Kerala.
Mr. Ramachandran accused the CPI(M) of fanning politics of communalism and violence by playing second fiddle to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “The CPI(M) is not ready to take on the BJP. It is afraid of the BJP,” he said.
BJP response
Meanwhile, BJP State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai said Sunday that the political scenario in the State was turning BJP-centric, with both the CPI(M) and the Congress accusing each other of hobnobbing with the party.
The UDF and LDF cannot hope to hoodwink the people any longer. Voters can see that the Congress and the CPI(M) are joining hands openly in some States and covertly elsewhere, Mr. Pillai said.