NDA partner in Kerala claims several Cong MPs/MLAs in touch

Senior Kerala MLA and NDA partner P C George Sunday claimed six Congress MPs and three legislators from the state had held talks with the BJP central leadership and that there would be defections.

Congress rejected the claim by the Poonjar MLA and called him a big mouth, saying he makes such statements to get media attention.

George, whose Kerala Janapaksham Secular party recently joined the BJP-led NDA in the state, made the claim at a time when the Congress had been hit by desertions of its MLAs in Karnataka and Goa.

I have come to know that six Congress MPs and three Congress MLAs in the state have held talks with the central leadership of the BJP, George told reporters in Kottayam after his party's state committee meeting.

He declined to divulge any further details.

Later, when contacted by the PTI, the senior MLA said he could not divulge more details about the talks but claimed there would be "a flow" from the Congress to the BJP in Kerala.

George said his claim would be proved right soon.

He was formerly with the Kerala Congress (Mani) but broke away ahead of the 2016 assembly polls after differences with the leadership and won the Poonjar seat as an independent.

Later, he formed the Kerala Janapaksham Secular party.

Dismissing his claims, KPCC Vice President V D Satheesan said no one takes George seriously as he is a big mouth. George is known for making such allegations to get media attention," he added.

Not a single Congress leader from Kerala would join the BJP, Satheesan, MLA, told PTI.

He alleged George was making such claims as the Congress had prevented his move to enter the UDF fold.