Thiruvananthapuram | The BJP in Kerala on Thursday alleged that Minister V Sivankutty fielded a local CPI(M) leader as a namesake candidate of Rajeev Chandrasekhar from the Nemom assembly constituency where they both are contesting.

The BJP, in a statement, also said that it has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against state General Education Minister Sivankutty for appealing to voters on his official letter pad.

"It is an abuse of official position," the party claimed.

Regarding the candidature of Rajeev Kumar GS, the namesake of BJP Kerala chief Chandrasekhar, the saffron party's state general secretary S Suresh claimed that he was the CPI(M)'s Arannoor A branch secretary.

Suresh questioned the intention behind Kumar's candidature, who is contesting as an independent, asking whether he was fielded by the CPI(M) to insult the democratic process or was he a rebel candidate contesting against Sivankutty?

He said that the state education minister was resorting to such tactics as he was afraid of losing and asserted that the people of Nemom would not be fooled by such acts.

The CPI(M) and Sivankutty have not responded to the allegations.

Regarding the complaint that Chandrasekhar did not declare his assets completely, Suresh said that the ECI will take the necessary action and if the CPI(M) wants, it can move the Kerala High Court on the issue.

He also rejected Congress leader K Muraleedharan's allegations that BJP councillors in Vattiyoorkavu constituency were campaigning for the CPI(M) candidate.

Suresh said that the CPI(M), Congress, SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami have formed an alliance in Kerala against the BJP and development.

He said that the BJP-led NDA was the only front that was talking about development and that is why the people will vote for it.

The Assembly elections in Kerala will be held on April 9.