KALPETTA: With Congress caught up in its own storm in Wayanad, the CPM seems to be capitalising the former’s silence over the string of tragedies that have rattled the UDF stronghold. CPM state secretariat member M V Jayarajan on Sunday visited the families of both N M Vijayan and Jose Nalladam — two Congress leaders who died by suicide amid allegations of neglect by their own party — while the Congress leaders were conspicuously absent.
Offering financial support to Vijayan’s daughter-in-law Padmaja, who tried to die by suicide last day, Jayarajan said, “The CPM is ready to take on the financial burden of Vijayan’s family. If the family requests it, we will consider it. Our leaders are in touch with them.
Jayarajan turned his fire on Priyanka Gandhi, accusing her of indifference.
“She didn’t have to fly in from Delhi; she was in Wayanad for the past two days, but never visited Jose’s house. The district Congress leaders might have stopped her from listening to Vijayan’s family. If the Congress openly says it cannot help Vijayan’s family, the CPM is ready to step in,” he said.
The intervention sharpens the CPM’s narrative that Congress has abandoned its cadre in Wayanad.
By placing itself at the side of the grieving families, the Left is positioning itself to occupy the moral ground the Congress has ceded.
For the past few days, the CPM district leadership has been turning up the heat on Congress in Wayanad, with district secretary K Rafeeq directly targeting DCC president N D Appachan, I C Balakrishnan, and T Siddique.
Meanwhile, DYFI workers stormed Siddique’s MLA office in Kalpetta, attempting to shut it down.