Bypoll: CPI(M) will not reject anyone's votes: Balakrishnan

With the Chengannur bypoll a few weeks away, the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala today made it clear that it would accept votes from anyone barring that of the RSS.

"Anybody except RSS can vote for us," party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said.

"If NDA ally Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) wants to vote for LDF, they can do so," he said.

Addressing a press meet here, Balakrishnan said they had not taken any decision to reject any other party's votes in the May 28 assembly bypoll.

Balakrishnan's statement assumes significance in the wake of the recent statement of CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran that the ruling LDF did not want votes from Kerala Congress (M) led by former finance minister K M Mani.

"Workers of KC(M) and even the ordinary activists of the Congress party can cast their votes for us as per their interest," Balakrishnan said.

The leader said the CPI(M) had friendly relations towards caste outfits like Nair Service Society, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha and so on.

"However, the approach is not the same towards the political parties formed on the basis of communities," he said.

He said the BDJS's differences with BJP-led NDA would accelerate the disintegration of the right front in the state.

Balakrishnan said he was confident that the LDF would increase its winning margin in the bypoll compared to the previous 2016 assembly polls.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of CPI-M legislator K K Ramachandran Nair in January.

CPI-M Alappuzha district secretary Saji Cherian is the LDF candidate and Congress leader D Vijayakumar the UDF candidate.

Former BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai is the NDA candidate.