KOCHI: Throwing his weight behind beleaguered Ezhava caste leader Vellappally Natesan, BJP Kerala unit chief V Muraleedharan today alleged that CPI(M) and Congress leaders are targetting the SNDP Yogam General Secretary as they wanted to destroy his "damage potential" ahead of the Assembly polls next year.
"Congress and CPI(M) have come together in targeting Vellappally Natesan. They are coming out with baseless charges against the SNDP Yogam General Secretary after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.
"His meeting with the PM has contributed sleepless nights to leaders of these two parties. They are now trying to destroy Natesan's damage potential ahead of Assembly elections," Muraleedharan told PTI. He said that the CPI(M), fearing that its traditional Ezhava vote base would be eroded if Natesan floats a new political party, began attacking him by raising financial allegations regarding micro-finance and appointments in SNDP-run educational institutions.
"People did not fall into these traps. Now CPI(M) and Congress are targeting Natesan by levelling baseless charges on the death of Swami Saswathikananda of Sivagiri Mutt 12 years ago. This allegation was made after CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan met Natesan's opponent and bar baron Biju Ramesh in Kayamkulam in Alappuzha," he said. Ramesh, a known rival of Natesan within the Ezhava community, has alleged that Swami was murdered by a hired goon named Priyan at the behest of the SNDP leader.
Both Natesan and Priyan have rejected the allegations. Buoyed by the "unprecedented discussions" among the public in Kerala about an emerging third alternative against Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led LDF, Muraleedharan said a possible alliance between BJP and the political offshoot of SNDP Yogam could "drastically change" the political landscape of Kerala, now dominated by Congress and CPI(M).
Noting that this was for the first time in civic polls in Kerala that poll possibilities of BJP are being discussed across the state, he said the "much anxious" leaders of Congress and CPI(M) now changed the topic of discussion to who would be the Chief Ministerial candidate of NDA in the Assembly polls next year.
"Such a discussion is happening everywhere. It happened after Vellappally Natesan made the announcement about his intention to form a political party. "Though the discussion about a possible alliance between BJP and political offshoot of SNDP is in its preliminary stage, both Congress and CPI(M) feel that it would erode their vote-base. Both these parties have made it a discussion point," the BJP leader said.
Muraleedharan also accused media of creating confusion in the minds of people about the BJP's political move in the state.