Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday rejected allegations that the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) sought support from the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) for the April 9 Assembly elections, calling the claims “baseless.”

Vijayan said neither the LDF nor any of its candidates had approached the SDPI for backing, including in the key Nemom constituency. He clarified that the front has never taken a position seeking support from outside its alliance. Referring to LDF candidate V Sivankutty, he added that no such request was made at the local level either.

The SDPI is widely known as the political wing of the now-banned Popular Front of India. Responding to questions about SDPI’s declared support in Nemom, where the LDF is in a tight contest with the BJP, Vijayan maintained that any such support was neither requested nor part of any agreement.

He accused the Congress-led Opposition of trying to create confusion among voters by raising the issue. Vijayan recalled that during the 2021 Assembly elections, the political context in Nemom was different, with the LDF aiming to defeat the BJP in its only Assembly seat in Kerala.

The Chief Minister said some voters may have independently supported the LDF to defeat the BJP, but this should not be seen as a formal alliance. He stressed that the LDF remains committed to secular values and has never aligned with communal forces.

Reaffirming his government’s stance, Vijayan said both majority and minority communalism are unacceptable, adding that Kerala has remained free of communal riots in the past decade due to consistent policies against divisive politics.