THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM has termed the victory of an SDPI candidate from a sitting seat of the Congress and the latter’s poor performance in some sitting wards by finishing third behind the BJP as an indication of the likely electoral understanding between the two in the upcoming local body and assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, CPM state secretary M V Govindan alleged that the Congress fell to the third place in seven wards in the recent local body byelections.

“In one of the wards in Pangode panchayat, Congress lost its sitting seat to SDPI. A large chunk of Congress votes went to the SDPI candidate. This is an indication of how the Congress and Muslim League will use minority communal elements against the LDF in the forthcoming local body and assembly elections. In Sreevaraham ward in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Congress votes went to the BJP,” he said.

Govindan dismissed the UDF allegation that the LDF government and the CPM have not taken a strong stand against sea sand mining. The CPM secretary also said that the government must hold discussions with the protesting ASHA workers. “The government and CPM are not against protests. However, there is a difference between the protesting ASHA workers and the perpetrators.