CPI(M) claims Congress-BJP collusion with ED action in Kerala

The CPI(M) alleged that the Congress had “sold the people of Kerala a lie” by claiming a CPI(M)-BJP tie-up.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) on Wednesday sharpened its attack against the Congress, accusing the ruling party in Kerala of playing second fiddle to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “favour” for using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to target opposition leaders and powerful political opponents to switch loyalties.

Senior CPI(M) leaders alleged that the “illegal detention” of opposition leader and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by the ED in connection with the investigation into his daughter T. Veena’s now-defunct Exalogic Solutions and its consultancy contract with Cochin Minerals and Rutiles Limited (CMRL) “clearly exposed” what they described as the PJB-nexus.

The CPI(M) argued that the ED had failed to establish a case against two United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders whose names had allegedly appeared in the CMRL beneficiary list. The party also pointed out that Mr Vijayan categorically denied the allegation that the initials ‘PV’ in the company’s accounting records referred to him, a claim raised by the Congress.

However, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that he had earlier come clean about accepting funds from CMRL during his tenure as KPCC president. However, he declined when asked if the “second UDF leader” referred to by the CPI(M) was Industries Minister PK Kunhalikutty.

The CPI(M) alleged that the Congress had “sold the people of Kerala a lie” by claiming a CPI(M)-BJP tie-up. She accused the Congress of aiding the BJP’s victory in three assembly constituencies and cross-voting in significant numbers to defeat the CPI(M) across the state.

CPI(M) state committee member MB Rajesh alleged that the Congress “violated the founding spirit” of the anti-BJP INDIA bloc at the national level by filing a false complaint that resulted in the wrongful imprisonment of the then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He noted that the Delhi High Court later dismissed the “concocted” corruption charges.

Mr. Rajesh alleged that Rahul Gandhi exposed the Congress-BJP gambit targeting the CPI(M) by lamenting the “ED’s delay in imprisoning Mr. Vijayan and his family” while campaigning in Kerala during the Assembly elections.

Finance Minister KN Balagopal told reporters that “ED has no case or FIR to detain Mr. Vijayan at his house on the pretext of a raid. The warrantless search is based on the political determination of the BJP-Congress axis to target the top CPI(M) leader.”

Published – 27 May 2026 13:57 IST