Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan dimissed the growing presence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, asserting that the party is unlikely to secure any seats in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Vijayan in an interview with ANI, acknowledged that certain groups are actively working towards expanding the BJP’s influence in Kerala. He also referred to the party’s victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation during the recent local self-government elections. However, he cautioned against interpreting this as a broader endorsement of the BJP by the people of Kerala.
“The fact that the BJP won the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation should not be misunderstood as the entire population of Kerala accepting the party,” he said.
Pinarayi Vijayan also dismissed the impact of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi on the party's growth in the state.
When asked whether the presence of Rahul Gandhi and other national leaders was helping the Congress expand in Kerala, Vijayan said, "What growth has the Congress party achieved in the places where Rahul Gandhi and other national leaders are working? There isn't any major growth visible in those places. I don't think their coming will bring any particular change in Kerala."
Kerala CM said that some leaders turning against the Communist Party of India (Marxist) over personal ambition is an unprecedented and serious matter, and asserted that the rebel candidates will not affect the prospects of the Left Democratic Front in any manner and expressed confidence that the front will secure convincing victories in all such constituencies.
The Kerala Chief Minister termed the dissidents as "class traitors" and said they are acting as tools in the hands of rivals, adding that party workers should not cooperate with them.
"This has two aspects. First, some individuals have taken a different stand and come out against the party. There is no doubt that such a situation should not happen. In a party like the CPI(M), it is something unprecedented for individuals to turn against the party out of personal ambition. We view this development very seriously, and it needs to be evaluated in depth. However, the fact that such incidents have occurred in a few places will not, in any way, affect the party or the front. Former CPI(M) leaders G Sudhakaran in Ambalappuzha, PK Sasi in Ottapalam, TK Govindan in Taliparamba, and Kunjikrishnan in Payyannur have come forward as candidates. Their candidature will not affect the LDF in any manner. It will not create even the slightest dent in the LDF's victory," CM said.
"In all these constituencies, the LDF will win convincingly. That is what is going to happen, and there is no need for any concern about it. All of them have turned into tools in the hands of the enemy. They are being viewed as complete class traitors, and no one in the CPI(M) should be expected to cooperate with them," he added.
Responding to a question on alleged double standards in cases involving PK Shyamala, wife of CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan, and PP Divya, the Chief Minister defended his party's stance.
He said, "That is not a double standard. We take positions based on the facts before us. If you examine that position, it was not found that PK Shyamala had committed any specific wrongdoing at that time. Therefore, there was no need to take action against her. That is what happened.In the case of PP Divya, she attended an uninvited event and made remarks that should not have been made. This caused significant embarrassment to the party. Therefore, the two incidents are different."
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has dismissed "double standard" allegations, arguing that while Shyamala was exonerated after investigations found no "specific wrongdoing" in the 2019 suicide of NRI businessman Sajan Parayil, the case of P.P. Divya was fundamentally different.
Divya, the former Kannur District Panchayat President, was stripped of her posts and faces abetment charges after publicly shaming ADM K. Naveen Babu at an uninvited event shortly before his death in 2024.
Speaking on the opposition's strength in the state, the Chief Minister asserted that it lacks widespread public support.
He said, "Those who are with the opposition may have a good opinion about them. But the people are not with them. Just a few people coming together is not enough to win or to come to power; the support of the people is needed for that. The opposition in Kerala has not yet risen to a level that is accepted by the people."
The 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9, the Election Commission of India announced today, with the counting of votes scheduled to take place on May 4.
The main electoral contest in the State is expected between the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, is also in the fray for the Assembly polls.