New Delhi: Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing the party of aligning with Jamaat-e-Islami in the Nilambur byelection for political gains.

Addressing a press conference, Chandrasekhar alleged that the Congress had "openly and formally" accepted the support of Jamaat-e-Islami to secure its win in Nilambur. “On one hand, they speak about the Constitution and secularism, and on the other, they indulge in opportunistic politics with anti-national parties,” he said.

He further claimed that this was the first time Congress had officially announced an alliance under pressure from Jamaat-e-Islami. “We are exposing the Congress’s politics of trying to bring such anti-national groups into the mainstream,” Chandrasekhar added.

Taking aim at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the BJP leader referred to his recent remarks on the Emergency. “Kharge sahib said, ‘Why are you observing 50 years of the Emergency when people have forgotten about it?’ This shows the Congress’s attempts to erase the memory of its own authoritarian past,” he said.

Chandrasekhar also accused the Congress of a long-standing pattern of appeasement politics. “After 26/11, they blamed the RSS. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, Robert Vadra attributed it to the repeal of Article 370. This reflects the INDIA bloc’s willingness to do politics with Jamaat-e-Islami for votes,” he said.

The BJP leader concluded by alleging that Congress was being remotely controlled by such groups, highlighting what he described as a dangerous political shift driven by vote bank compulsions.

The CPM has also accused the Congress of winning the election with support from communal forces. “The Congress benefited from the backing of the Welfare Party, the political arm of Jamaat-e-Islami. This alliance will have long-term consequences,” CPM State Secretary MV Govindan said.