Thiruvananthapuram | CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam has asserted that the Sabarimala gold loss scandal will backfire on the Congress-led UDF and BJP, shielding the ruling LDF from any electoral fallout in poll-bound Kerala.
Viswam also said that he does not believe there is an anti-incumbency factor against the LDF, of which the CPI is the second-largest constituent, and there is a pro-Left wind in the state.
In an interview with PTI, he slammed the Congress-led alliance for its alleged electoral understanding with the Islamist outfits like Jamaat-e-Islami.
He said that the LDF considers the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) -- the political wing of the banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) -- as the "Muslim versions of the RSS".
Viswam said he had highlighted this stand of the CPI and the LDF during the Left Front's recent 'Vikasana Munnetta Jatha' (Development Advancement March) in the state.
He said that the Left Front was allied with the true believers of all faiths but was against religious extremism.
"We are against those who use religion as a means to further their political agenda. There are streams of extremist factions in all religions and we will not compromise with such religious extremism or the terrorism that stems from it.
"They will always be our enemies. We will fight them along with the true believers," he said.
The CPI stand is the same as that of the CPI(M) which has been highly critical of the political support given by the Jamaat-e-Islami and the SDPI to the Congress-led UDF and has slammed the opposition for accepting the backing of allegedly religious extremist groups.
On being asked whether there was an anti-incumbency factor in the state as claimed by the UDF opposition, Viswam said that was just a "self-consolation" claim by the Congress-led front.
He said that during the UDF's 'puthuyuga yatra', it had claimed that its list of candidates would be released right after the yatra comes to an end.
"But did that happen? Nothing happened. Yatra is over. There is confusion in their rank and file. So, as a self consolation, they are saying there is an anti-incumbency factor. There is nothing like that in Kerala. Instead, there is a pro-LDF wind in the state," the CPI state secretary said.
He also pointed out that the CPI was the first party, even in the LDF, to announce its candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Kerala on April 9.
On the Sabarimala gold loss issue, which was recently referred to by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited Kerala, Viswam said that the LDF stand was very clear that if anyone in the "rank and file" of the Left Front was involved in the matter, they will get "no element of consideration".
Those found to be involved in that crime will face appropriate action, which will include removal from the party, Viswam said, adding that all the culprits in the Sabarimala gold loss cases "will be put behind bars".
He said that the people are aware of the LDF stand and therefore, the Sabarimala gold loss issue will not affect the poll chances of the Left Front parties.
However, it would affect the Congress-led UDF and the BJP's election outcomes, the CPI veteran said.
Viswam said that everyone saw photographs of the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold loss cases, Unnikrishnan Potty, and others involved in the matter in close proximity to the UDF convener Adoor Prakash and Congress leaders at the national level.
The CPI state secretary was apparently referring to the photographs of Sonia Gandhi and Congress MP Anto Antony with Potty at her residence in Delhi.
Besides that, everyone saw the reaction of the BJP when the Sabarimala tantri (chief priest) Kandararu Rajeevaru was arrested in the matter, he said.
On being informed that the tantri had claimed that he was targetted because of his stand against the entry of women into Sabarimala, Viswam said the chief priest was trying to politicise the issue to escape action in connection with the case.
The CPI state secretary also made it clear that anyone within the LDF who is found to be involved in any corrupt activity, will get no consideration from the Left Front.
When asked whether the recent allegations of infidelity against state Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar will affect the LDF prospects in the election, the CPI veteran simply said, "Let's wait and see".
He said that the important political issues that will play a part in the LDF victory were the efforts made by the Left government to alleviate extreme poverty from the state, infrastructure development and welfare measures taken for protecting the life and livelihood of the people, especially the poor.
He said that even ecological issues, like loss of lives and crops in the wildlife attacks in the high range areas of the state, were also a point of discussion in the upcoming elections and the state government recently increased the compensation for families of victims of animal attacks.
Viswam said that the efforts of the state government will result in the LDF getting much more seats than it did the previous two times.
He said that the LDF will get 110 seats in the 2026 assembly elections.
In 2016, it had won 91 seats and in 2021 it had increased its tally to 99.
