Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Congress of colluding to pull the wool over the public’s eyes by alleging widespread voter fraud in the 2024 General Elections in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency. 

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday (August 13, 2025), Mr. Chandrasekhar said the INDIA bloc allies were resorting to muckraking to rob the sheen of Union Minister Suresh Gopi’s upset victory in Thrissur, which allowed the BJP to secure a toehold in Kerala’s parliamentary landscape and signal an end to the Left Democratic Front (LDF)-United Democratic Front (UDF) “revolving door” electoral politics in the State.

Moreover, Mr. Chandrasekhar said that both parties, sensing defeat in the local body polls later this year, have stoked controversy to divert public attention from their failures as an Opposition and ruling front, respectively.

Mr. Chandrasekhar noted that Union Minister Suresh Gopi had won the constituency by more than 70,000 votes.

‘Smokescreen of lies’

“Neither the CPI(M) nor the Congress, both INDIA bloc allies, challenged the poll outcome in 2024. Now they are belatedly laying down a smokescreen of lies by saying that Mr. Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat through voter fraud”, he said.

Mr. Chandrasekhar said CPI(M) and Congress booth agents had no objections about the final voters’ list. “Voting challenges in poll stations in Thrissur were few and far between. Now, according to a plan, both parties have colluded to make a false case against the BJP”, he stated.

Mr. Chandrasekhar said that, in contrast, BJP agents had furnished evidence and convinced the Election Commission of India (ECI) to remove thousands of “fake votes” when he contested from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency in 2024. “Why did CPI(M) and Congress booth agents not do the same if they had reservations about the voters’ list in Thrissur?” he asked. 

Mr. Chandrasekhar dared the CPI(M) and the Congress to move the ECI or the court to seek redressal for their grievances instead of prosecuting a false propaganda campaign against the BJP through the media. 

“The CPI(M) and the Congress say the ECI is in the BJP’s pocket. If so, they could always seek recourse in the judiciary”, he said.