The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said here on Tuesday that it would provide evidence of an alleged nexus between the CPI(M) and the UDF for the Malappuram Lok Sabha bypoll, if Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan denied that he had met Indian Union Muslim League leader (IUML) P.K. Kunhalikutty at a businessman’s residence in Valanchery recently.
“Let Mr. Vijayan clarify if he met Mr. Kunhalikutty and what transpired between them. If he denies that he had met the IUML leader, we will provide evidence to prove our allegation,” he told reporters here on Tuesday. The BJP had alleged on Monday that the IUML and the CPI(M) had joined hands for the byelection and the LDF had fielded a weak candidate to help Mr. Kunhalikutty win the election easily.
Mr. Krishnadas said the byelection would be a turning point in the history of coalition politics in the State. “The IUML will desert the Congress, which is getting weakened across the country, and join the LDF. The CPI(M) will wholeheartedly support them as they need a counterforce to avert the threat of the CPI,” he said.
Mr. Krishnadas said the minorities in Malappuram would extend support to the BJP in the byelection following in the footsteps of their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, who reportedly voted for the party in the Assembly polls held recently. “We got the support of Muslim women in U.P. over the triple talaq issue. In Malappuram too, they will support us,” Mr. Krishnadas claimed.
