Thiruvananthapuram, April 11 Congress leader K Muraleedharan said on Saturday that no community should be blamed for not voting for a particular party.
He was responding to questions regarding BJP leader P C George and his son Shone George, who criticized the Catholic church, its bishops, and a newspaper supported by it, alleging that they had turned against them in the election.
The Kerala Assembly elections were held on Thursday, with results for all 140 constituencies to be declared on May 4.
The LDF is aiming for a third term, the UDF for a comeback, and the NDA to open its account in the state.
He said the remarks indicated that the BJP's attitude towards minority communities outside Kerala was being repeated in the state.
“Communities should not be blamed for not voting for us. On some occasions, we receive votes from certain communities, and at other times, we do not. In some elections, we also did not receive votes from certain communities, but we did not blame them,” he said.
He added that the UDF had received votes from both minority and majority communities this time.
“The consolidation of minority and majority communities will work in favour of the UDF this time,” he said.
He further stated that the contest in the election was primarily between the UDF and the LDF, although the NDA’s presence was also felt.
He expressed confidence that the UDF would secure up to 100 seats in the election.
“The attitude of the people is key. They want change,” he said.
He also noted that unprecedented queues were witnessed at polling booths in Thiruvananthapuram, where voter turnout is usually lower.
“This indicates a possible change in government, as people voted enthusiastically this time,” he said.
He alleged that the Election Commission did not make adequate arrangements for the polls, claiming that basic facilities were lacking.
He said there were no fans, no special consideration for elderly voters, and no generators in case of power outages.
Muraleedharan contested from the Vattiyoorkavu constituency in Thiruvananthapuram.
Meanwhile, former state police chief T P Senkumar criticised BJP state leaders over the party’s outreach towards the Christian community in Kerala and backed remarks made by party leaders against Catholic bishops.
In a Facebook post, Senkumar, a BJP supporter, said he had earlier warned the party against shifting its focus from its core Hindu base to Christian outreach, including during the controversy related to the alleged attack on nuns in Chhattisgarh.
He also criticised the BJP leadership, including the party’s state president.
“A president who does not know even the ABCD of Kerala, and a group of followers who do not question him—where have they brought the BJP in Kerala today?” he asked.
He said the remarks made by P C George and Shone George were “absolutely correct.”
“In reality, who is it that only takes all the benefits without giving anything in return? A tendency to always take advantage. They should also understand that the BJP can rule India even without their support,” he said.