Kerala’s ruling LDF convenor acknowledges meeting BJP leader Javadekar

Ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) convenor and Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) leader EP Jayarajan on Friday acknowledged he briefly met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar at the birthday party of the former’s grandson in Thiruvananthapuram months back.

He spoke about the meeting on the day Kerala all 20 seats went to the polls in the second of seven-phase Lok Sabha elections even as the Congress has accused the Kerala wing of CPI(M) of being in close touch with the BJP to hurt the electoral prospects of the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) in the state.

“I was at my son’s apartment in Thiruvananthapuram for my grandson’s birthday. Suddenly, I saw Prakash Javadekar walking in. I was surprised. When someone comes home, we cannot ask them to leave. Right? He said he was in the neighbourhood and thought of coming to meet me. He wanted to discuss political matters with me, but I declined. I told him I had a meeting that I had to go to and left. They also left at that moment. That is all,” said Jayarajan after voting in Kannur.

Jayarajan maintained that he held no political discussions with Javadekar and that it was just a courtesy meeting. He added there was nothing unusual about it. He said as the LDF convenor, several people including Congress, BJP leaders, and Christian and Muslim priests meet him. “I am not someone who [switches parties and politics] just by meeting someone. I will not change even if the Prime Minister talks to me.”

Congress leader VD Satheesan said CPI(M) leaders in Kerala always meet BJP leaders. “Why? To defeat us,” Satheesan said.

K Sudhakaran, the state Congress chief, has alleged Jayarajan held secret talks to join the BJP. Sobha Surendran, the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Alappuzha, echoed Sudhakaran. She added that Jayarajan held talks with her BJP leadership but backed out fearing a threat from CPI(M).

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan responded to the row and said Jayarajan should have been more careful. “Jayarajan is known for having a friendship with everyone. But there is a saying in our land that if Shiva joins a sinner, then Shiva also becomes a sinner. We must be careful... There are a lot of people here who wake up thinking about whom to cheat today. So, we must avoid friendships to an extent with such people. Jayarajan does not show enough alertness in such matters...”

He insisted there was nothing wrong with meeting Javadekar. “I also met him at the start of the election campaign. I told him that his party is trying its best to win in Kerala...the BJP was not going to win any seat in Kerala.”

The Congress-led UDF hopes to repeat its 2019 Lok Sabha poll performance in Kerala. It swept the polls, winning 19 of the 20 seats. Most opinion polls indicate the UDF has an edge. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who won Kerala’s Wayanad seat in 2019, is again in the fray. The UDF got over 47% votes in 2019. The LDF vote share fell to 36% from 40% in 2014.