Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday stated that the BJP would not win any seats in Kerala this time, indicating that the upcoming election will be a direct contest between the CPM-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF in all 20 seats.
At a press conference in Alappuzha, the chief minister said that the BJP will face a complete rout. "The BJP won't even come second in the 20 seats, let alone win one." He stated that the communal politics pursued by the BJP will not be allowed to take root in Kerala.
Pinarayi pointed out that in 2016, the BJP won its first seat in the state legislative assembly due to a significant decrease in the vote share of the Congress-led UDF. However, in the 2021 assembly polls, the CPM managed to close that account when the LDF candidate and current Education Minister V. Sivankutty won the Nemom seat.
The Chief Minister's statement assumes significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent visit to the state, stated that his party expected the people of Kerala to give them seats in double digits this time.
"In the last election, you gave us a vote percentage in double digits, and we hope you will bless us with seats in double digits this time," he said.
Pinarayi Vijayan criticized the Congress manifesto for not providing a clear commitment against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). In contrast, the CPM's manifesto expressly promises to revoke the CAA, he stated.
The chief minister addressed a series of public meetings on the CAA issue across the state. During these gatherings, the chief minister criticized the Congress for failing to take a strong stand against BJP’s alleged communal politics.
