Very few Congress leaders are directly joining the BJP in Kerala because the saffron party cannot lure them with parliamentary posts here, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member M.A. Baby has said.
“There are only trading of votes and secret tie-ups between the United Democratic Front and the BJP in many constituencies. So the Congress cannot effectively resist the BJP in Kerala,” he told the media here on Tuesday. One of the other reasons for the lack of exodus from the Congress to the BJP here was the presence of the Left in Kerala, Mr. Baby said.
Mr. Baby dismissed senior Congress leader A.K. Antony’s statement that voting for the CPI(M) was equal to voting for Narendra Modi, calling it an “absurd remark”. “Actually, the votes for the Congress are going to help the BJP,” the CPI(M) leader said. “In the current Parliament, over 100 BJP members were earlier part of the Congress and some of them were elected representatives and Ministers too,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi’s entry
Mr. Baby hoped that Rahul Gandhi’s entry to the electoral scene in Wayanad would not lead to a consolidation of minority votes in Congress’ favour. “The minorities want to stop the BJP from coming back to power. They are aware that only the Left is capable of resisting the BJP in Kerala and the Congress cannot do it. Even in States such as Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, the Congress is not able to stop the BJP’s march,” he said.