Thiruvananthapuram, March 26 The BJP in Kerala alleged on Thursday that Minister V Sivankutty fielded a local CPI(M) leader as a proxy candidate for Rajeev Chandrasekhar from the Nemom assembly constituency, where both are contesting.
In a statement, the BJP also said that it had filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against state General Education Minister Sivankutty for using his official letterhead to appeal to voters.
"This is an abuse of power," the party claimed.
Regarding the candidature of Rajeev Kumar GS, the proxy of BJP Kerala chief Chandrasekhar, the saffron party's state general secretary S Suresh claimed that he was the secretary of the CPI(M)'s Arannoor A branch.
Suresh questioned the intention behind Kumar's candidature, who is contesting as an independent, asking whether he was fielded by the CPI(M) to undermine the democratic process or was he a rebel candidate contesting against Sivankutty?
He said that the state education minister was resorting to such tactics because he was afraid of losing and asserted that the people of Nemom would not be fooled by such actions.
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 that 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 the 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.
