BJP ‘irrelevant’ in Kerala, claims K. Muraleedharan ahead of assembly polls

Senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan on Monday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has become “irrelevant” in Kerala, alleging that it has failed to deliver on key promises made to the state.

Muraleedharan, who is contesting from Vattiyoorkavu in the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for 9 April, made the remarks while responding to Narendra Modi’s visit to Palakkad for an election rally. He said voters in Kerala were unlikely to accept the BJP’s claims at face value.

Questioning the party’s track record, he pointed to unfulfilled infrastructure and development commitments. “An MP from the party was elected and even made a Union minister. Has a Metro rail project come to Thrissur? Why has the long-pending demand for an AIIMS not been approved?” he asked.

Muraleedharan said he had raised the demand for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) twice in Parliament during his tenure as MP, but was informed that the proposal remained under consideration with the finance ministry.

He also criticised the BJP over an earlier promise related to the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, where the party had said the Prime Minister would announce a special package if it came to power. “He visited, but no such package was announced,” Muraleedharan said, adding that the BJP’s past electoral gains had not translated into tangible benefits for the state.

According to him, electoral contests in Kerala continue to be largely bipolar, primarily between the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF), leaving little space for the BJP. “The party has no real relevance in this election,” he said.

On allegations of an understanding between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Muraleedharan accused the Left of double standards. He noted that when the SDPI had supported the UDF in the previous Lok Sabha elections, it was strongly criticised by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

“Now, CPI(M) leaders say they are willing to accept votes from any organisation. When SDPI support goes to the UDF, it is labelled communal, but when it favours the LDF, it is portrayed as secular,” he alleged, adding that such a stance would not resonate with voters in Kerala.

Muraleedharan also dismissed allegations that individuals were being paid Rs 500 per day to participate in his campaign, calling the claims a “fabricated narrative” by the CPI(M). He accused LDF candidate V.K. Prasanth of being behind the allegations and said he had filed complaints with both the Election Commission and the police.

With PTI inputs