BJP Chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar Rejects Rahul Gandhi's Claims of BJP-CPI(M) Alliance in Kerala

BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar refutes claims of a BJP-CPI(M) alliance in Kerala, asserting the NDA's competitiveness and criticising Rahul Gandhi's leadership.

Tasked with steering the NDA in the April 9 Kerala assembly polls, BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday flatly dismissed Rahul Gandhi's charge of a BJP-CPI(M) understanding to make the state "Congress Mukt" as baseless.

In an interview with PTI videos at his Nemom election committee office, Chandrasekhar countered Rahul's allegations and said he would not predict seat numbers in the elections but insisted the NDA is competitive across almost all constituencies in Kerala and hopes voter dissatisfaction with the Congress and the Left will translate into a mandate.

"Congress Mukt, if anybody is making it, is Rahul Gandhi. While I am happy that he's trying to give me the credit for it, or give us the credit for it, he is single-handedly making Congress Mukt Haryana. He is single-handedly making Congress Mukt Delhi. He is single-handedly making Congress Mukt Bihar," the BJP leader said.

Mounting an attack on Rahul, he said it was the Congress leader himself who was making the state Congress-free. "So the credit should go to him," Chandrasekhar said.

"Thank you, but we don't want to take your credit," he said, reacting to the allegation.

Rejection of BJP-CPI(M) Alliance

Chandrasekhar ruled out any possibility of an understanding between the BJP and the CPI(M), calling it "inconceivable" given the history of political violence against party workers.

He added that such claims were a "deliberate deflection" by Rahul to distract from what he alleged was cooperation between the Congress and the Left in other states.

"My party will never let me do it one inch because the CPI(M) has killed and murdered our karyakartas," Chandrasekhar said, referring to the deaths of party workers in violence in some parts of the state.

"So do you think this party, a party that Narendra Modi ji leads, will allow even one minute of understanding with the CPI(M)? It is inconceivable. It is an insult to all these people who have died as martyrs for our party," he said.

Sabarimala Issue and Congress's Credibility

He also responded to a query on Rahul's charge during the poll campaign that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been silent on the Sabarimala issue.

Questioning the Congress's credibility, Chandrasekhar referred to alleged links between Congress leaders and individuals accused in controversies related to Sabarimala.

Chandrasekhar said it was unreasonable to expect the prime minister to respond directly to Rahul.

"If Rahul Gandhi's expectation is that the Prime Minister should call him and tell him about Sabarimala, that's not going to happen," he said.

He added that Modi had publicly addressed the issue and sharply criticised both the Congress and the Left.

"The Prime Minister came to Kochi just a few weeks ago and made a scathing attack on the Congress and the Left on Sabarimala," he said, adding that Modi had asserted that "if there is a party that will send these people to jail, it is the BJP NDA… this is Modi's guarantee".

Turning the attack back on the Congress, Chandrasekhar said Rahul should respond to questions regarding meetings involving Sonia Gandhi.

"Rahul Gandhi should give us a reply if he is keen on Sabarimala. He should tell us why Sonia Gandhi met Unnikrishnan Potty (the prime accused in the case)," Chandrasekhar said.

Raising further allegations, he added: "Now I am asking him… what was Sonia Gandhi's business with the accused? If Rahul Gandhi is so keen on Sabarimala, he should answer these questions."

NDA's Prospects and Voter Sentiment

To a query on the estimated number of seats the BJP-led NDA would win, Chandrasekhar declined to give a specific projection, saying he was "not prepared to make any calculated call", but maintained that the alliance was competitive across most constituencies in Kerala.

He said the party was "in the running in every seat, except a few", and was working to gain voters' trust statewide. "If people make up their mind… why will they not vote for BJP, NDA?" he asked.

Questioning the confidence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Chandrasekhar added: "After 10 years… he's confident of getting another mandate. How?"

He argued that "dissatisfied people throw out an incumbent government" and expressed confidence that voters were "fed up with the Congress and the Left".

FCRA Bill Controversy

Asked about the controversy over the FCRA bill during the peak of the election campaign, Chandrasekhar said the BJP would not be "cornered", dismissing the row as a "manufactured controversy" created by the Congress.

Chandrasekhar accused the Congress of "attempting to distract" voters from core issues, claiming it would "invent, design, create a controversy" during the campaign period.

He also said he had urged the Centre to defer the bill amid concerns, adding: "I just requested the Home Minister and the Prime Minister… they deferred it. End of matter."

Confidence in Christian Community

Asked whether the BJP hoped to regain the confidence of Christians in the state, Chandrasekhar said he did not believe the party needed to "regain" their trust, asserting that the community was capable of making informed decisions without political mediation.

"Why do you think the Congress party has such a hold on the Christians… are we now underestimating the intelligence of the Christian community?" he asked.