Kerala: Rajeev Chandrasekhar Slams Priyanka Gandhi For Congress’ Alleged Ties With Jamaat-e-Islami In Nilambur Bypoll

As the Nilambur by-poll campaign enters its final phase, the Congress party’s alleged understanding with the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Welfare Party of India has triggered sharp criticism from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), turning the issue into a key campaign flashpoint.

BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in a Facebook post, accused the Congress of ideological double standards. He questioned Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s silence, pointing out the contrast between her public stance on constitutional values and what he called a local “alliance with a radical outfit.”

“Isn’t it hypocrisy to preach ‘mohabbat’ but stand with those who once hailed Hamas and mourned Ajmal Kasab?” he asked, invoking late Congress CM Oommen Chandy’s past remarks calling the Jamaat “dangerous.”

According to a report by The New Indian Express, the CPI(M) too echoed the criticism, with state secretary M V Govindan accusing the Congress of courting communal forces in Kerala while opposing them nationally. “Priyanka Gandhi, as Wayanad MP, must clarify her stand,” he said.

Meanwhile, the controversy escalated after Opposition Leader V D Satheesan claimed that Jamaat-e-Islami had moved away from its Islamic state ideology. His remarks, now widely cited, have drawn concern within the Congress and among UDF allies.

Responding to the backlash, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph clarified that there is no formal alliance—only an electoral understanding. All India Congress Committee general secretary KC Venugopal reiterated the same and declined to comment on Satheesan’s statement.

The issue has gained traction in Nilambur, a Hindu-majority constituency with a sizable Christian voter base, where the BJP has fielded a Christian candidate and is using the row to build momentum.