Thiruvananthapuram | Chief ministers from BJP-ruled states have arrived in Kerala to assist candidates filing nominations for the upcoming Assembly elections, party state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Saturday.
In a press conference, Chandrasekhar said that around 40 party candidates, including himself, filed their nominations on Saturday, while the remaining will complete the process by Monday.
Chandrasekhar said Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma will visit Nemom, Kattakkada, Kazhakootam and Vattiyoorkavu in connection with nomination procedures.
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel will visit Manalur, Thrissur, Nattika and Palakkad constituencies.
Rajasthan deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa is scheduled to visit Elathur and Balussery, while Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will be present in Kanjirappally and Poonjar.
Raising concerns over the recent fire at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Chandrasekhar alleged that five deaths linked to the incident were covered up by the state government.
"The families said that life support systems stopped functioning following the fire. After the incident, authorities claimed that there was nothing wrong. This is a cover-up," he alleged.
A fire had broken out on March 17 at the surgical ICU in the multi-speciality block of the medical college, following which patients were shifted from the facility.
Families of two patients who were also shifted and died later claimed that death was linked to the fire incident.
Responding to a question on allegations by Congress leader V D Satheesan that the CPI(M) had fielded an independent candidate in Palakkad to help the BJP, Chandrasekhar called Congress a "shameless party".
He said such allegations were ironic, given that the Congress has alliances with Left parties at the national level and in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
"Sobha Surendran, a popular leader working for the people, is giving a strong fight in Palakkad. Realising this, such false propaganda is being spread out of fear," he alleged.
He added that the era of such "fake narratives" is over and that Congress should instead explain its past performance and future plans to the people.
"Campaigns led by leaders like K C Venugopal and Satheesan will not work in this election, and we will not allow it." Chandrasekhar said the remaining party candidates will be announced soon and that seat-sharing within the NDA was "99 per cent smooth".
"It is not possible to give seats to everyone. That is a political reality. We have spoken to all stakeholders and will approach the election unitedly," he said.
He acknowledged that there may be disappointment in some constituencies but said NDA workers were committed to working together to bring change.
When asked about the BJP's main rival, Chandrasekhar said the NDA is fighting what he described as "CPI(M)-Congress politics".
"CPI(M) and Congress are not two, but one entity. They are part of the INDIA alliance. They have destroyed the state, and the BJP-led NDA is contesting to bring change," he said.
