Thiruvananthapuram, March 26 : The political slugfest between the ruling CPI(M) and the Congress-led Opposition intensified on Thursday, with Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, launching a sharp counter-attack against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over allegations of a BJP-CPI(M) nexus.

An hour after CM Vijayanâ??s Facebook post surfaced accusing the Congress of maintaining tacit links with the RSS, Satheesan rejected the claims and turned the charge back on the Chief Minister, alleging a history of CPI(M) engagement with the RSS and BJP.

Satheesan said Vijayanâ??s repeated assertion that only the CPI(M) has resisted the RSS would be rejected by politically-aware Keralites.

He alleged that it was Vijayan who had benefited from RSS support in the past, including during the 1977 Assembly elections, and not the Congress.

Citing historical instances, Satheesan referred to the Uduma constituency, alleging a CPI(M)-RSS understanding involving RSS leader K.G. Marar.

He also pointed to visuals of CPI(M) stalwart E.M.S. Namboodiripad with RSS leaders, and questioned whether Vijayan would deny the presence of senior BJP leader L.K. Advani at a CPI(M) campaign event in Palakkad.

The Opposition leader further cited national level political alignments in 1989, when CPI(M) leaders E.M.S. Namboodiripad and Jyoti Basu supported V.P. Singh alongside BJP leaders including Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani, to argue that the Leftâ??s current claims lack consistency.

He also flagged a statement by Balashankar, former editor of the RSS mouthpiece Organizer, alleging a CPI(M)-BJP understanding during the last Assembly elections, and demanded a clear response from the Chief Minister.

Escalating the attack, Satheesan accused Vijayan of holding meetings with RSS leaders in Thiruvananthapuram and maintaining backchannel contacts.

He further alleged that the Kerala government diluted key investigations, including the Kodakara hawala case, and attempted to shield individuals close to CM Vijayan.

Satheesan concluded that the Congress does not require lessons from Vijayan in opposing the Sangh Parivar, asserting that more evidence exists and challenging the Chief Minister to respond, as the political confrontation sharpens ahead of the elections.

/IANS