UDF, BJP afraid of Lok Sabha election verdict in state, says Kerala CM

Pathanamthitta (Kerala) [India], April 8 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday attacked the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the BJP, saying that they are afraid of the Lok Sabha election verdict in the state.

He accused the BJP-led central government of discrimination in financial allocations concerning the state.

“Both UDF and BJP are afraid of the election verdict. The Central government is the cause of the financial crisis. Both parties want to hide this. Kerala does not feature among the states with higher borrowing rates,” Vijayan told the media here.

Earlier, CM Vijayan had said the CPI (M) manifesto pledges to repeal the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, whereas the Congress manifesto is silent on the issue.

“The CPI (M) manifesto pledges to repeal the CAA whereas the Congress manifesto remains silent on the issue,” he said.

The Central government notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, on March 11, days before the announcement of the schedule for Lok Sabha polls.

The bill concerning CAA was passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019.

The 2019 Act amended the Citizenship Act, 1955 and provides that people are eligible for citizenship if they belong to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities and entered India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan. It only applies to migrants who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

Kerala sends 20 parliamentarians to the Lok Sabha and voting will take place on April 26.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, starting on April 19. The counting of votes is on June 4.