<p>While the Congress in Kerala is stepping up allegations of CPM-BJP deal in the assembly elections, there is strong resentment even within the BJP over allotting prospective seats to coalition partners.</p><p>Opposition leader V D Satheesan triggered the allegation that there was CPM-BJP deal in at least ten seats. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal added that the deal was clearly evident in the selection of candidates by the CPM and BJP in many seats.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: All fingers crossed over Sabarimala issues as polls approach.<p>Congress alleges that CPM fielded weak candidates at many constituencies with the intention of splitting the Congress votes. They cite Palakkad as an instance where hotelier N M R Razak was fielded by the CPM as an independent candidate. Congress alleges that the intention was to split the minority votes and thereby pave the way for the victory of BJP firebrand leader Sobha Surendran.</p><p>A recent remark of BJP's coalition partner Twenty20 Party's (TTP) candidate at Ranni in Pathanamthitta Thomas K Samuel that he do not want to comment whether Sabarimala Ayyappa temple related issues would affect the LDF in the election is also being cited by Congress camps to back their CPM-BJP deal campaign.</p><p>Even as the CPM and BJP leadership outrightly rejects the allegation, there is strong resentment within the BJP over allotting some of their influential seats to TTP that recently joined the NDA.</p><p>In the recent local body election BJP won the Tripunithura municipality in Kochi for the first time. But the Tripunithura seat is now given to TTP. Even as there were reports that TTP chief and Kitex group managing director Sabu Jacob will contest from the seat, TTP has fielded actress Anjali Nair.</p><p>Similarly, there is resentment among BJP workers over giving some other seats like Kodungalloor in Thrissur to the T20 as well as denying Thrissur seat to party senior leader B Gopalakrishnan and giving it to new entrant to the party Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of former Chief Minister and Congress leader K Karunakaran. Many senior BJP leaders like general secretary M T Ramesh are kept off the fray.</p><p>The CPM-BJP nexus allegation, which may help Congress get a minority vote consolidation in their favour, was initially triggered by AICC leader Rahul Gandhi. He recently said in Thiruvananthapuram that it was due to CPM-BJP understanding that the central agencies were not taking any action against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, even as all other leaders of opposition parties in the country were being targeted. He even ridiculed that the CPM should be renamed as 'CJP' owing to its understanding with the BJP. </p>
<p>While the Congress in Kerala is stepping up allegations of CPM-BJP deal in the assembly elections, there is strong resentment even within the BJP over allotting prospective seats to coalition partners.</p><p>Opposition leader V D Satheesan triggered the allegation that there was CPM-BJP deal in at least ten seats. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal added that the deal was clearly evident in the selection of candidates by the CPM and BJP in many seats.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: All fingers crossed over Sabarimala issues as polls approach.<p>Congress alleges that CPM fielded weak candidates at many constituencies with the intention of splitting the Congress votes. They cite Palakkad as an instance where hotelier N M R Razak was fielded by the CPM as an independent candidate. Congress alleges that the intention was to split the minority votes and thereby pave the way for the victory of BJP firebrand leader Sobha Surendran.</p><p>A recent remark of BJP's coalition partner Twenty20 Party's (TTP) candidate at Ranni in Pathanamthitta Thomas K Samuel that he do not want to comment whether Sabarimala Ayyappa temple related issues would affect the LDF in the election is also being cited by Congress camps to back their CPM-BJP deal campaign.</p><p>Even as the CPM and BJP leadership outrightly rejects the allegation, there is strong resentment within the BJP over allotting some of their influential seats to TTP that recently joined the NDA.</p><p>In the recent local body election BJP won the Tripunithura municipality in Kochi for the first time. But the Tripunithura seat is now given to TTP. Even as there were reports that TTP chief and Kitex group managing director Sabu Jacob will contest from the seat, TTP has fielded actress Anjali Nair.</p><p>Similarly, there is resentment among BJP workers over giving some other seats like Kodungalloor in Thrissur to the T20 as well as denying Thrissur seat to party senior leader B Gopalakrishnan and giving it to new entrant to the party Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of former Chief Minister and Congress leader K Karunakaran. Many senior BJP leaders like general secretary M T Ramesh are kept off the fray.</p><p>The CPM-BJP nexus allegation, which may help Congress get a minority vote consolidation in their favour, was initially triggered by AICC leader Rahul Gandhi. He recently said in Thiruvananthapuram that it was due to CPM-BJP understanding that the central agencies were not taking any action against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, even as all other leaders of opposition parties in the country were being targeted. He even ridiculed that the CPM should be renamed as 'CJP' owing to its understanding with the BJP. </p>