CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday accused the Congress of working in tandem with the BJP to destabilise the Left Front government in Kerala.

At the same time, he said that two CPI(M) MLAs in Rajasthan would vote to “defeat the BJP’s machinations to topple the Ashok Gehlot government in the State”.

At a virtual press conference at the end of the two-day meeting of the CPI(M) Central Committee, Mr. Yechury said the assaults on the State governments had taken another dimension. “The efforts to destabilise the State governments have, in fact, intensified during the pandemic. We have seen how the BJP has engineered the governments in Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and now what they are doing in Rajasthan,” he said.

He also hit out at Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra for not abiding by the constitutional principle.

“Despite the Council of Ministers seeking a vote of confidence in light of the efforts to topple the government through large-scale horse-trading of MLAs, the constitutional authority — the Governor — is not abiding by the constitutional principle that he will work on the basis of the advice of Council of Ministers,” Mr. Yechury said.

Horse-trading

He clarified that both the CPI(M) legislators in Rajasthan would adhere to the party line.

“We are very clear. We thoroughly oppose this plan of BJP through large-scale horse-trading. Both our MLAs are adhering to this understanding. Whenever the question arises we will take a position to defeat the BJP’s machinations,” Mr. Yechury said.

Gold smuggling case

Similar efforts to target the Left Front government in Kerala were going on using the excuse of the gold smuggling case, he said.

The case was currently with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after demands for investigations by a Central agency were made by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Appropriate action would be taken against the guilty, he said.

“At a time when we should be working together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the opposition led by the Congress is working in tandem with the BJP using disruptive politics to destabilise the Left government but people of Kerala will never allow it,” he said.