Kerela polls: Congress becomes BJP whenever it wins, says M Swaraj

KOCHI: CPM state secretariat member M Swaraj said that Congress ‘becomes BJP' not when they lose, but when they win. Speaking at a news conference in Kochi on Tuesday, Swaraj said that there are numerous past instances of this in the country. Swaraj said that BJP, which lacks the capability to govern politically in Kerala, aims to do so through Congress. Congress is not just a party name but a path to BJP, he said. "A social activist said that if Congress loses elections, they will join BJP. Experience shows that more Congress members have joined BJP after winning than losing. In 2019 and 2022, all Congress MLAs in Goa joined BJP. In 2022, under the leadership of chief minister Digambar Kamat, who had Congress MLAs take an oath of allegiance, Congress switched to BJP. In 2016, 43 Congress MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh, led by chief minister Pema Khandu, joined BJP. In Karnataka, Congress MLAs joined BJP, toppling the H D Kumaraswamy govt. This year, former Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna and Congress MLAs became part of BJP. In Madhya Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and 22 MLAs joined BJP," Swaraj said. He added that currently, four BJP chief ministers are former Congress members. "Whether Congress wins or loses, it turns into BJP. This could be seen in Kerala if Congress wins," Swaraj said, adding that since 1960, Congress members in Kerala have had open ties with RSS. Swaraj alleged that wherever Congress has ruled, minorities have faced significant challenges. Of the 10 major communal riots in the country, nine occurred under Congress rule, he said. Congress, which compromises with all forms of communalism, is also their protector. Swaraj said that Congress leaders are once again bringing up failed allegations to mislead the public at the last minute of the elections.