Sivankutty Defends Acceptance of All Votes Amid Allegations

CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty has defended his stance of accepting votes from all societal sections amid opposition rumors of a CPI(M)-SDPI deal in upcoming assembly polls. He insists rejecting votes is unconstitutional, accusing opposing parties of using allegations as a smokescreen against development discussions in Kerala.

V Sivankutty, senior CPI(M) leader and the LDF candidate in Nemom, defended his decision to accept votes from all societal sections, countering opposition claims of a CPI(M)-SDPI deal during the April 9 Assembly polls. He emphasized that rejecting votes based on affiliation is unconstitutional.

Sivankutty clarified he did not state he would seek votes specifically from SDPI but maintained a candidate cannot refuse any group's support. He stated, 'The Constitution guarantees voting rights to all. I cannot reject votes from anyone willing to support my political stance.'

Amid accusations from UDF, Sivankutty claimed Congress and BJP had previous agreements in Nemom, dismissing the SDPI deal claims as distractions from Kerala's developmental issues. Echoing these views, CPI(M) veteran T M Thomas Isaac asserted LDF's refusal to align with groups misaligned with Left's principles.

(With inputs from agencies.)