Thiruvananthapuram: AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal slammed the CPM over its alleged unholy nexus with BJP a day after the Kerala local body election results. Addressing the media in New Delhi on Sunday, the Congress MP said the CPM’s strongholds had been washed away in Thiruvananthapuram in these polls. He said the results proved the CPM’s “unholy pact” with the BJP.

“Even CPM sympathisers dared to vote for the BJP. The CPM forced them into such a stance. The LDF’s positions on various issues led to this defeat. The CPM-led Travancore Devaswom Board is responsible for the gold theft at the Sabarimala temple. The theft came to light following High Court intervention. However, the CPM tried to protect the accused even after the Special Investigation Team arrested them,” Venugopal said.

He also accused the CPM of paving the way for the BJP’s victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. However, he dismissed the BJP’s claims of having achieved a major breakthrough by increasing its vote share in the local body polls. He declared that the Congress would not allow the BJP to come to power in Kerala.

“Compared to the 2020 local body polls, the UDF increased its vote share this time, while the LDF lost power even in its strongholds. In these polls, the UDF witnessed a positive wave. Over the past 10 years, Congress workers have faced numerous false criminal cases and struggled while continuing to serve the party,” Venugopal said.

He said the UDF’s comeback in the polls was a victory for the entire team, adding that the success did not belong to any individual or party but was the result of a collective effort.