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CPI-M alleges Congress-BJP nexus in Kerala

The Communist Party of India-Marxist, heading the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala, today alleged that a section of the Congress was working in tandem with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state.

"The parallel agitation programmes announced by these parties against the Nayanar government are enough indication that the Congress and the BJP have reached an understanding," CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan told newsmen in Thiruvananthapuram.

He said the Congress in the state would face a situation similar to the one in West Bengal, where Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee joined hands with the BJP. But he refused to identify the Congress leader who would play the role of Banerjee.

Alleging that there was an "unholy alliance" between the Congress and the BJP in several panchayats and cooperatives, Vijayan said they wanted to widen the scope of their secret understanding throughout the state in the coming elections to the local bodies.

He further alleged that the Congress agitation against the bus fare hike, effected by the state government, was aimed at diverting the people's attention from the Vajpayee government's decision to hike the diesel price.

Vijayan said the BJP's opposition to manaveeyam, the state-sponsored cultural programme to usher in the millennium, was understandable as it wanted to celebrate kaliyug and not the one connected with the birth of Christ. "But, why did the Congress oppose such a programme?" he asked.

This showed that a section of the Congress was working in tandem with the BJP on all issues. As part of their strategy, the two parties were trying to disturb peace in certain parts of the state, he alleged.

Referring to the decision of the Revolutionary Socialist Party-Baby John to keep itself away from the LDF, he said after the split in the RSP, the LDF did not take any decision on the inclusion of RSP-B in it. "But I don't think the RSP-B has severed its ties with the front," he added.

UNI

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