Kochi: BJP Kerala president K Surendran has claimed that the political equation in Kerala does not gel with opposition unity projected at the national level in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Surendran said that the Congress and the CPM were misleading the public by claiming to be part of INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), a coalition of 26 opposition parties at the national level.
"There is an understanding between Congress and CPM in Kerala. And if there is no such cooperation between them, does it mean Kerala is not part of the opposition's INDIA?" Surendran told mediapersons here on Friday.
KC Venugopal, the General Secretary (in charge of organisation) of Congress had recently declared that his party "cannot go with CPM in Kerala" just as it "cannot go with TRS in Telangana". He, however, emphasised the larger picture, which is "to defeat the BJP" at the Centre.
CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury too had said something similar. The CPM and Congress are the major parties in Kerala with the BJP only ever managing a single seat in the state assembly, through O Rajagopal in 2016.
In this context, Surendran has argued that the cooperation between opposition parties will not work in Kerala. "This is a cooperation of deceit, between Congress and CPM.
"Who will Sitaram Yechury speak against in Kerala? Will it be against the man the opposition has projected as its prime ministerial candidate? Can Yechury talk against Rahul Gandhi? Will Rahul Gandhi issue a rallying cry against Pinarayi Vijayan?" Surendran said.
Earlier this week, 26 opposition parties in the country, including the Congress and CPM had joined hands to form INDIA. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had said that all leaders supported the resolution "with one voice".
