THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president Rajeev Chandrsekhar on Friday said that the Centre has reduced the special excise duty on petrol and diesel to help consumers and urged Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan to cut the state taxes on the fuels.
The BJP state chief also rejected the Congress and CPI(M) accusations against each other of having a deal with the saffron party, saying that "there is no such understanding".
He claimed that it was a narrative being created to divert attention from the BJP-led NDA's poll campaign based on development.
Chandrashekhar, speaking to reporters here, said that the Union government reduced the special additional excise duty (SAED) from Rs 13 to Rs 3 to protect consumers from the effect of surging global crude prices.
He urged Vijayan to cut the state's taxes on petrol and diesel so that the benefit of the excise duty reduction can reach the consumers in the state.
Meanwhile, the BJP leader, who is contesting in the April 9 Assembly polls from the Nemom seat, also claimed that his competitor in the constituency -- state Education minister V Sivankutty -- was scared of losing and, therefore, resorting to various tactics to win.
"One of them is the fielding of a CPI(M) branch secretary named Rajeev from this seat as an independent candidate.
"The other is appointing employees of the Labour Department as officials to assist the Election Commission's Returning Officers," Chandrashekhar claimed.
"This shows their fear of defeat," he added.
The BJP state chief further said that he always thought that the Congress was the "most shameless party", but Sivankutty is now "giving them competition".
He claimed that as the CPI(M) has nothing to show for its 10-year rule, it was creating controversies, spreading lies, fielding namesakes and appointing Labour Department employees as EC officials -- all to win in the Assembly polls.
The Labour Department portfolio is also held by Sivankutty.
On the 'deal with BJP' allegations being made by the Congress and CPI(M) against each other, Chandrashekhar said that it was a narrative being created to divert attention from the NDA's poll campaign based on development.
He said that both the Congress and CPI(M) were in an alliance outside Kerala.
"There is no understanding, there is no deal.
What has happened here is decades of misgovernance, injustice and negligence by the CPI(M) and the Congress," he claimed.
