THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: V Surendran Pillai, who was the UDF candidate in Nemom during the 2016 assembly election, has alleged that there was vote trading between the Congress and the BJP in that election.
“That was the reason why the UDF candidate got only 13,800 votes in that election. The BJP could win that election with the support of the Congress votes,” he said.
Pillai was with the JD(U) headed by late M P Veerendra Kumar and had contested in the UDF ticket. Now, Surendran Pillai is with the LDF.
He said the KPCC had conducted an inquiry into the considerable vote erosion for the UDF candidate then. The inquiry commission had pointed out the lapses on the part of five Congress leaders in the constituency. However, no action was taken against these leaders.
“I am keenly observing the UDF right from 1984 onwards. When I had approached a prominent person to file his nomination from Nemom earlier, he refused to do it. But the UDF had emerged stronger later here. That was how I decided to contest from Nemom last time. The UDF always gives this seat to the constituents and the Congress later engage in vote trading,” Pillai said.
“In return, Congress gets the benefits in other seats. That is the deal they struck with them. O Rajagopal himself had said that vote sale took place in Nemom. The present UDF candidate in Nemom should be very careful. I hope K Muraleedharan knows all these,” he added.
He also alleged that some Congress leaders in the constituency were behind the sale of votes. When a triangular contest is being witnessed in the constituency, LDF candidate V Sivankutty stands to gain, said the former MLA.