Priyanka Gandhi Contesting Wayanad Bypoll With Jamaat-E-Islami Support: Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister and veteran Marxist leader Pinarayi Vijayan intensified his attack on the Congress, alleging that its general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, is contesting the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election with the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Mr Vijayan claimed that by-election in Wayanad has "exposed the Congress party's secular mask completely." "Priyanka Gandhi is running as a candidate there with the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami. So, what exactly is Congress's stance? Our country is not unfamiliar with Jamaat-e-Islami. Does that organisation's ideology align with democratic values?," he asked.

Stating that Jamaat-e-Islami does not value the nation or its democracy and disregards the nation's governance structure, Mr Vijayan said the organisation was operating under the guise of political involvement through the Welfare Party, and this facade was evident in Jammu and Kashmir.

The chief minister alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami had long opposed elections in Jammu and Kashmir, promoting strong sectarian positions. "Later, they aligned themselves with the BJP (in Kashmir)," he said.

Referring to the recent elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Mr Vijayan claimed that Jamaat-e-Islami planned to contest three or four seats there, ultimately focusing on the seat where CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami was standing.

"The goal was to defeat Tarigami, and the BJP shared this objective. However, despite this alliance of extremists and the BJP, the people chose Tarigami," the CPI(M) veteran said.

He said the Jamaat-e-Islami in Wayanad claims they are different from the Jamaat-e-Islami in Kashmir. "However, the ideology remains the same--one that does not accept any form of democratic governance. This time, they feel like supporting the Congress-led UDF," he said.

Targeting the Congress, Mr Vijayan asked, "Shouldn't those who stand for secularism oppose all forms of sectarianism?" "Can the Congress do that? The Congress and allies, including the Muslim League, seem to be making certain 'sacrifices' to maintain their alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. Can the Congress reject Jamaat-e-Islami's votes?," he asked.

The CPI(M) Politburo member urged Congress leaders to recall a statement by the late Marxist leader EMS Namboodiripad, highlighting his firm stance against communal alliances.

He said in a by-election in Thalassery, EMS had openly stated, "We do not want RSS votes." Referring to this example, Mr Vijayan questioned whether Congress could take a similarly principled stand.

Mr Vijayan made similar allegations while addressing a by-election meeting in support of the Left candidate in Wayanad, CPI's Sathyan Mokeri.

Kozhikode Corporation Councillor Navya Haridas is the BJP candidate in the hill constituency.

The Wayanad by-election was triggered after Rahul Gandhi, who won seats in both Wayanad and Raebareli, chose to vacate the Wayanad seat. The by-election will be held on November 13. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)