Kochi: Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan on Monday said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been doing a chameleon act with his stand on communalism. The Congress leader said the chief minister was promoting majoritarian communalism during the bypoll campaign whereas he appeased minority communities during the Lok Sabha election campaign.

"Like a chameleon changes its colours, the chief minister is promoting majoritarian communalism. That is why he attacks  Panakkad Sadiqali Thangal who is a spokesperson of secularism," Satheesan told reporters at the Ernakulam District Congress Committee office.

He also ridiculed CM Vijayan's claim that the difference of votes between the CPM and BJP has narrowed in Palakkad. "Is it because the CPM's vote share increased? Fact is BJP's vote count came down to 39,000 from 50,000. I wonder who is writing the speeches for the chief minister and making him say such ridiculous statements," Satheesan said. He compared the CPM to a schoolboy who keeps scoring third rank but claims he has reached near second position because the second rank holder scored lesser marks.

Satheesan said the CPM's allegation that Congress candidate Rahul Mamkoottathil won the Palakkad bypoll with the support of  communal parties like SDPI was aimed at taking the grace off the UDF win.

Though asked repeatedly whether the Congress considers SDPI, the political arm of Popular Front of India, as a communal party, Satheesan said he did not have any yardstick to measure how communal a party is. It was the same stand he adopted during the Lok Sabha polls. 

Will win Chelakkara next time
Satheesan claimed that the UDF would win the Chelakkara constituency in the assembly polls though they could not wrest the seat from CPM in the recent bypoll. He reiterated that it was a major achievement that Congress could significantly bring down the CPM's victory margin in the constituency.