Present poll outcome result of Congress going at it alone, says Kerala CPI(M)

Palakkad (Kerala), Dec 3 (PTI) With the BJP poised for a win in three Hindi heartland states following the assembly polls there, the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Sunday said that Congress's decision to go at it alone to defeat the saffron party was the sole reason for the present outcome.

The CPI(M), a part of the INDIA alliance, also alleged that "infighting" within the grand old party, "hunger for power" and some of its leader's working as "undercover agents of the BJP", all led to the present outcome in the assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, on the other hand, said that the poll outcome was the result of Narendra Modi's good governance.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, addressing a huge crowd at a Nava Kerala Sadas event here, said that when facing a foe like BJP in those three states, it was necessary to ensure a united front as much as possible.

"Instead of doing that, the Congress thought it had already won, that it was a big power and no one could defeat it. This thought is what has led it to the present downfall," Vijayan said.

He said that after the polls were announced in those states, all calculations indicated that people did not want BJP to come in power there and that it was possible to ensure a huge setback for the saffron party; however, the Congress was not ready to unite all the secular forces, and this stand resulted in the present situation.

He also alleged the Congress leader Kamal Nath acted as the BJP's B team in Madhya Pradesh by not opposing communal acts and instead supporting them.

"The thinking that adopting a soft Hindutva stand would help to defeat extreme Hindutva is an illusion. Their (Congress) campaign was helpful for BJP (in Madhya Pradesh). The BJP is winning there with a good number of seats.

"This misfortune was created by the Congress. It needs to realise it and learn its lesson from that," Vijayan said.

He said that while it was necessary to defeat the BJP, the election results have shown that it cannot be achieved by the Congress on its own.

"They should learn their lesson from this, rectify their mistakes and adopt the correct stand of bringing together all secular forces to defeat the BJP," he added.

Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said that the Congress was unable to lead the fight against the BJP even in the states ruled by the grand old party due to infighting within it.

"Infighting, hunger for power, inability to take up a proper secular stand and many Congress leaders, including in Kerala, working as undercover agents of the BJP led to the present situation," Riyas alleged.

He alleged that the Congress leaders working as undercover agents for the BJP have betrayed those in the party who have a secular mindset.

"Rajasthan is one of the examples of infighting for personal gains adversely affecting the fight against the BJP. The Congress needs to learn its lesson that BJP has to be defeated by whatever means possible," Riyas said.

Union MoS Muraleedharan claimed that the poll outcomes in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh was also the public's answer to the "false propaganda against Narendra Modi by the ruling and opposition parties in Kerala".

He said that this was only the beginning and that Modi would come to power for a third time after the Lok Sabha elections. PTI