Kerala Chief Pinarayi Vijayan has said a major disaster would befall the country if the BJP returned to power in the Centre this year. He was addressing the media on the eve of the LDF (Left Democratic Front) government's protest in the national capital against the Narendra Modi-led Centre's alleged neglect of non-BJP-ruled states, including Kerala.

Pinarayi said his government has requested the backing of chief ministers and prominent leaders of other states saying the Centre's alleged discriminatory approach towards states was an attack on cooperative federalism.

"This protest doesn't aim to defeat anyone, instead the purpose is to earn what is rightful," Pinarayi told media persons assembled at the Kerala House in Delhi. The Kerala CM accused the Modi government at the Centre of adopting preferential treatment toward 17 BJP-ruled states and ignoring the others.

"Cooperative federalism has been our policy, but the Centre adopts a different stand toward states ruled by non-NDA governments. Its approach is to caress the 17 states (ruled by NDA) and torture the others. It is against this approach that we are raising this protest."

'BJP must be defeated'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly alluded to his third term in office in the run-up to the General Elections to be held this year (likely in April-May). But according to the Kerala chief minister, continuity at the Centre will be catastrophic for the nation. "Everyone that thinks about the future of our country wants a change. We want our nation to remain; our secularism and federalism to thrive. But if the BJP returns to power a major disaster will befall us. It is already happening, but there is a panic across the country that it could become irreparable."

'Not about north-south divide'
The Kerala government has found a strong comrade in neighbouring Tamil Nadu where Chief Minister M K Stalin has been vocal about the need to unite to defeat the 'fascist BJP'.

"I stand in full support of the Government of Kerala's commitment to preserving fiscal federalism. The Government of Tamil Nadu is ready to extend its cooperation in this regard and we look forward to collaborating and synchronise our efforts to address this crucial challenge," Stalin wrote to the Kerala CM recently.

When asked if only the southern states were united against the Centre, Pinarayi replied: "This is not a matter of north-south divide, it is about the Centre impinging on to the rights of states. It is about denying what is rightful to the states in a federal system. Delhi is facing it, Punjab is facing it, most states are facing this."

Calls for unity, but blames Congress
Even as the Kerala chief minister called for opposition unity to defeat the BJP in the General Elections, he took a potshot at the Congress, the CPM's main opponent in Kerala. Congress and CPM are among the 27 political parties that have formed the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance).

Pinarayi said, "The defeat of the BJP can only be ensured if the alliance in each state lined up thoughtfully". But, "the Congress party's imprudence was behind the setbacks in the recent assembly elections," Pinarayi said. The BJP-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) had wrested power from the Congress in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in the Assembly polls held last November.