AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal on Sunday sharply criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party, stating the party was attempting to create a false narrative by claiming major gains in the recent Kerala local body elections.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Venugopal claimed that out of the state's total 1,199 local bodies, the BJP had increased its tally in only eight. "Yes, they have won the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, and I am not taking that lightly. But beyond that corporation, they do not have a single seat in the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat," he highlighted.
BJP's Limited Presence and "PR-Driven Effort" Comparing the results with the 2020 local body elections, Venugopal pointed out that the BJP lost its majority in the Palakkad and Pandalam municipalities, though it did win two new municipalities this time. "They are trying to project a false narrative that Kerala is moving towards the BJP. This is a PR-driven effort by the Prime Minister and others to alter the mindset of the people," he said.
He detailed the BJP's limited administrative presence: "In 2020, the BJP controlled 21 local bodies. This time, it has won 29. That means the BJP’s presence is still less than one per cent of Kerala’s local bodies," adding that such "foul tactics" would not work in the state.
UDF Victory Attributed to Pinarayi Government's Missteps Venugopal asserted that the primary reason behind the UDF’s significant victory was the Pinarayi Vijayan government, which he alleged had earned widespread public resentment through its actions.
"At every step, the government showed how to alienate the public. The Pinarayi government and the chief minister are the sole reasons why the BJP could win the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat last year," he claimed. He further alleged that the CPI(M) leadership's approach had created a situation where even its cadre did not hesitate to vote for the BJP.
Venugopal also commented on the Chief Minister’s meetings with Union Ministers without the presence of officials, suggesting it raised public suspicion about "political undercurrents" that the people of Kerala clearly understood.
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