Kerala: Rajeev Chandrasekhar welcomes former CPI(M) MLA S Rajendran into BJP; condemns "apathetic" Congress, CPM

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 18 (ANI): Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday welcomed former CPI(M) MLA from Devikulam, S Rajendran, into the party. He also lashed out at the "apathetic" CPI(M) and Congress, alleging corruption.
Speaking to ANI, Chandrasekhar said that Rajendran and other leaders joined the BJP as they were unable to solve people's problems while in CPI(M).
With Kerala set to hold Assembly elections later this year, the BJP leader alleged collusion between the Congress, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and the Union Muslim League. Hinting at appeasement politics, he stated that the BJP is "the only party" which can safeguard the interests of all communities.
Chandrasekhar said, "Doors are open for every leader interested in Viksit Kerala. I'm very happy today to welcome Rajendran ji and, along with him, Gurunathan ji and Santosh to the BJP because they came in and, as he spoke today, they are frustrated that for years they have not able to solve people's problems because the government is apathetic, the CPM government, Congress governments are apathetic, they cannot do it."
S Rajendran, on Sunday, joined the BJP, stating that his decision was made "without any conditions" and that he has "no desire to contest elections."
Further, referring to the recent attack on minorities in Bangladesh, Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused the CPI(M) and Congress want to transform Kerala into a neighbouring country.
He said, "These governments are more interested in power, they are more interested in corruption, and in the case of the Congress party, they are more interested in responding to the Jamaat and the Indian Union Muslim League. We are the only party that can deliver development, who is interested in development, who is committed to development and can deliver development. We are the only party that can safeguard the traditions and the faith of every Malayali, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian. We are the only party that can today safely say, accurately and confidently, that we can push back and protect Malayalis from the rise of a radical organisation like Jamaat-e-Islami."
The BJP leader stated that the party believes in equal rights for all, and asked the public to resist "anti-democracy and anti-secular" forces.
"In any election in Kerala, the Muslim League and the Congress Party will never talk about development. 70 per cent of the remittances that come into Kerala go to one community. But it is clear that one community is enjoying the benefits of development at the expense of the others. And that is something only the BJP and the NDA can legitimately solve because we believe in equity. We believe in everybody having equal rights. We must stand together as every Malayali to resist the rise of Jamaat. We must stand together every Malayali to resist the rise of forces that are anti-democracy, anti-secular and want to transform Kerala into something like Bangladesh and something like Pakistan. We must stand together," he told ANI.
"The rise of Jamaat-e-Islami, because the Congress is desperate to grow into power, their tendency to grab on to anybody who has any vote, should be something seen as very, very, very dangerous for the future of our state. And we must resist it. We must defeat these forces," he added.
Politics in Kerala has heated up with the State set to hold Legislative Assembly polls in 2026. (ANI)