<p>Thrissur: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday claimed that neither the CPI(M) nor the LDF has ever had any association with the Jamaat-e-Islami, rejecting opposition UDF allegations that the Left party and the Muslim outfit were political partners for decades.</p>.<p>Vijayan said that the Left Front never had the "misfortune" of seeking votes from the Jamaat-e-Islami and never gave the Muslim outfit a "good certificate".</p>.<p>"But there are some people now who are desperately trying to give a good certificate to the Jamaat-e-Islami," the chief minister said at a press conference here.</p>.<p>He alleged that it is the Jamaat-e-Islami which shapes the political agenda of the Congress and also contributes to UDF poll campaigns.</p>.<p>The remarks came in response to a statement by Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, who claimed that the CPI(M) and Jamaat-e-Islami have been linked for decades in a relationship that "cannot be severed easily." IUML is a key constituent of the Congress-led UDF opposition.</p>.'Birds of the same feather': Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan likens Jamaat-e-Islami to Hindutva groups.<p>Hitting back, Vijayan said the UDF and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders "will say anything," and their claims of CPI(M) links with the Muslim outfit are baseless.</p>.<p>Supporting his claim, the CM noted that the Jamaat-e-Islami began voting in elections only from 1987, a time when the Left was not in power in Kerala.</p>.<p>He said that in 1987, the Jamaat-e-Islami had explicitly refused to vote for Marxist or fascist groups, making it clear they voted for the Congress.</p>.<p>In 1992, the Congress government at the Centre classified the Jamaat-e-Islami as a prohibited group, preventing it from supporting the party in 1996, he added.</p>.<p>"In subsequent years, the Jamaat-e-Islami adopted a candidate-based voting stance and sometimes contested elections themselves. During the V S Achuthanandan government (2006–2011), the outfit’s youth wing Solidarity, actively worked against the Left Front," Vijayan said.</p>.Rahul Mamkootathil a 'sexual pervert', says Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan; Congress cries foul over delay in arrest.<p>"So, we never had the misfortune of chasing their votes. We have also never given them a good certificate. But now, some are desperately trying to do so," he added.</p>.<p>Vijayan further alleged that both the Congress and the Jamaat-e-Islami engage in "opportunistic politics" and encourage communalism for political gain.</p>.<p>On Friday, the chief minister had said that the Jamaat-e-Islami and Hindutva organisations are "birds of the same feather", describing the Congress’s alleged alliance with the Muslim outfit as "suicidal". </p>
<p>Thrissur: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday claimed that neither the CPI(M) nor the LDF has ever had any association with the Jamaat-e-Islami, rejecting opposition UDF allegations that the Left party and the Muslim outfit were political partners for decades.</p>.<p>Vijayan said that the Left Front never had the "misfortune" of seeking votes from the Jamaat-e-Islami and never gave the Muslim outfit a "good certificate".</p>.<p>"But there are some people now who are desperately trying to give a good certificate to the Jamaat-e-Islami," the chief minister said at a press conference here.</p>.<p>He alleged that it is the Jamaat-e-Islami which shapes the political agenda of the Congress and also contributes to UDF poll campaigns.</p>.<p>The remarks came in response to a statement by Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, who claimed that the CPI(M) and Jamaat-e-Islami have been linked for decades in a relationship that "cannot be severed easily." IUML is a key constituent of the Congress-led UDF opposition.</p>.'Birds of the same feather': Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan likens Jamaat-e-Islami to Hindutva groups.<p>Hitting back, Vijayan said the UDF and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders "will say anything," and their claims of CPI(M) links with the Muslim outfit are baseless.</p>.<p>Supporting his claim, the CM noted that the Jamaat-e-Islami began voting in elections only from 1987, a time when the Left was not in power in Kerala.</p>.<p>He said that in 1987, the Jamaat-e-Islami had explicitly refused to vote for Marxist or fascist groups, making it clear they voted for the Congress.</p>.<p>In 1992, the Congress government at the Centre classified the Jamaat-e-Islami as a prohibited group, preventing it from supporting the party in 1996, he added.</p>.<p>"In subsequent years, the Jamaat-e-Islami adopted a candidate-based voting stance and sometimes contested elections themselves. During the V S Achuthanandan government (2006–2011), the outfit’s youth wing Solidarity, actively worked against the Left Front," Vijayan said.</p>.Rahul Mamkootathil a 'sexual pervert', says Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan; Congress cries foul over delay in arrest.<p>"So, we never had the misfortune of chasing their votes. We have also never given them a good certificate. But now, some are desperately trying to do so," he added.</p>.<p>Vijayan further alleged that both the Congress and the Jamaat-e-Islami engage in "opportunistic politics" and encourage communalism for political gain.</p>.<p>On Friday, the chief minister had said that the Jamaat-e-Islami and Hindutva organisations are "birds of the same feather", describing the Congress’s alleged alliance with the Muslim outfit as "suicidal". </p>