Congress has ‘degenerated itself into a B-team of BJP’, says Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

The Congress is not interested in opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party ideologically or politically because it has “degenerated itself into a B-team of the BJP”, said Kerala Chief Minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday, reported The Hindu.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress are partners in the Opposition INDIA bloc that is taking on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the Lok Sabha elections. However, they are contesting the polls alone in Kerala.

Tensions emerged within the bloc after the state-level Congress-led United Democratic Front renominated Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi from the seat against the Left Democratic Front candidate Annie Raja.

The Left Democratic Front of left-wing political parties, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), is the ruling alliance in Kerala.

Speaking with media persons on Thursday, the Kerala chief minister said the Congress’ rivalry with the BJP is “primarily confined to electoral politics and power struggles, rather than rooted in substantive ideological differences”, reported The Times of India.

“Consequently, the Congress has evolved into a party primarily focused on gaining traction within the realm of power politics,” Vijayan said.

The chief minister said that he was criticising the Congress as the party was not genuine in its attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the BJP, and...

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