Lok Sabha Polls: Left rattled by allegations of CPI (M) veteran’s plans to join BJP

Kannur/ Alappuzha: The accusations levelled by political opponents about senior CPI(M) leader E P Jayarajan ‘s alleged plans to join the BJP continued to trigger shock waves in the ruling Left in Kerala on Friday, the day of Lok Sabha polls, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan cautioning his party colleague to be vigilant in his associations.

“If Lord Shiva joins a sinner, Shiva will also become a sinner,” Vijayan said using a vernacular saying indirectly cautioning Jayarajan, who is also the convenor of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).

The Chief Minister’s statement came a day after BJP’s firebrand leader Sobha Surendran fired a salvo at CPI(M) by revealing the alleged bid made to take Jayarajan into the saffron party fold.

Two days ago Shobha had alleged that a middleman had tried to help a top CPI(M) leader who wanted to join the BJP and on Thursday, she claimed that the leader was E P Jayarajan.

While taking to reporters in Kannur, the CM said there are certain people in our country who wake up every day thinking about whom to cheat.

Without naming T G Nandakumar, who had allegedly played the role of a middleman between the BJP and Jayarajan, he further said any friendship or acquaintance with such people should be generally avoided.

Vijayan said the experience was that Jayarajan, who always maintains a good relationship with everyone, was usually not vigilant in such matters.

That’s how a person who has the most dubious background in the state came as a witness to all these developments, he said without directly mentioning about Nandakumar who is known as “Dallal” in state political circles.

The Left veteran said he clearly knows the connection of the particular person with the Lavlin case, which he has been fighting for years at the Supreme Court.

Friendship or even an acquaintance with such people was unacceptable, he added.

Responding to media reports that Jayarajan had admitted to meeting BJP leader Prakash Javadekar, Vijayan said there was nothing wrong with such meetings.