In an interview with PTI Videos, Pilot, who is the Congress’s senior election observer for the Kerala polls, accused Chief Minister Vijayan of secretly working with the BJP for personal benefit, particularly to avoid corruption investigations.
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He said that the efforts of the CPI(M) and the BJP would not succeed as the “people have seen through the fallacy and falsehood.”
The Congress leader was responding to a query regarding Vijayan’s allegations, made in an interview with PTI Videos recently, that the Congress is acting as a B-team of the BJP in the state.
“I do not know how the chief minister is making such allegations when the data suggests that it is the CPI(M) and the LDF that are in cahoots with the BJP and the NDA. Even today, the NDA’s participation in the Kerala elections appears to be aimed purely at facilitating the LDF’s return to power.
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In his interview, Vijayan had slammed the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of being the “B-team of the BJP”.
He said this in response to a query regarding Rahul Gandhi’s recent remark that central agencies have arrested or summoned for questioning other opposition leaders in the country, except the Kerala Chief Minister.
Escalating his attack on the Left government, Pilot said that the Left government and the BJP-led Centre have worked together for the last 10 years, and that he has not seen any demonstration, protest, agitation, petition or opposition from the CPI(M)-led alliance against the prime minister or the BJP.
“You know, so many tragedies have happened. The Wayanad tragedy happened. They asked for hundreds of crores, but we received only a loan. Did the Left parties go and sit on a dharna outside the prime minister’s residence? It was Priyanka ji and all the MPs of the UDF who went and protested against the Government of India,” he said.
“So it is one thing to say such things while receiving political support, and then make allegations. I think the chief minister is actually at a loss as to how to defend his 10 years of governance, and therefore, he is making these absolutely baseless allegations,” the Congress leader said.
Responding to reports that some MPs were seeking Assembly tickets, Pilot said there may have been interest from a few leaders, but the party followed a clear principle.
“As a convention and a principle, the party decided that no sitting MP will contest the Assembly election,” he said.
Praising veteran leader K Sudhakaran, who raised a strong demand for a seat from his home turf, Kannur, Pilot described the senior Lok Sabha member as a disciplined leader who respected the party’s stand.
“It is very gracious of Sudhakaran to accept that… a disciplined soldier of the party,” he added.
Pilot said individual aspirations exist in every party, but decisions are taken in the larger interest.
“Ultimately, the party decides in the larger interest… and everyone has agreed to work unitedly to bring the UDF back to power,” he said.
On the UDF’s prospects in the elections, Pilot avoided giving exact numbers but expressed confidence of victory.
“I don’t make predictions… but we will get a comfortable majority,” he said, while adding that the party would remain humble.
Pilot said the party’s manifesto for the Kerala Assembly polls is being prepared after wide consultations and will be “positive, futuristic and inclusive”.
Responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi’s five guarantees and the yet-to-be-released manifesto, Pilot said the process takes time as inputs are being gathered from different sections of society.
He emphasised that Kerala’s diverse population requires careful consideration while drafting policies.
“The manifesto will be very positive, it will be futuristic, it will be inclusive,” he added.
Pilot said the guarantees announced by Rahul reflect the party’s immediate priorities.
“The guarantees are our assurances… immediately after taking charge, while the manifesto is a broader vision,” he said.
Criticising the Left government, he claimed that the lack of opportunities has forced many young people to leave the state.
“People are not leaving because they are finding better opportunities; they are leaving because they have no opportunities in Kerala,” the Congress leader said. He stressed that employment generation would be a key focus area.
“We will look at how educated young people can be gainfully employed in Kerala,” he said. Pilot also claimed that public sentiment is in favour of change.
“People are really desperate for a change… and this was visible in the local body elections,” he added, expressing confidence that the trend would continue in the Assembly polls.
The Kerala Assembly, for which an election is scheduled on April 9, has 140 seats.
