"Fabricated campaigns created by Congress to hide internal issues": BJP's Prasanth Sivan over "offering money" to rival Kerala local poll candidate
Nov 24, 2025
Palakkad (Kerala) [India], November 24 : Following allegations that the BJP offered money to the Congress candidate in Palakkad to withdraw nomination in the local body polls, BJP Palakkad District President Prasanth Sivan on Monday said such "fabricated campaigns" were orchestrated by the Congress to divert attention from its internal issues.
"These are nothing but fabricated campaigns deliberately created by the Congress to hide their own internal issues. Palakkad Municipality has become a major headache for the Congress. UDF leaders themselves are contesting against Congress candidates. Even the wife of a sitting Palakkad municipal councillor and several others are contesting against official Congress nominees. A Congress District Committee member is also in the fray against a Congress candidate," Sivan told media persons here
The BJP leader emphasised that the allegations were an attempt by Congress to divert attention from its internal factionalism ahead of the Palakkad local body elections.
Highlighting the BJP's strong position on the issues, Sivan said, "Regarding the candidate in Ward 50, the BJP has absolutely no need to ask anyone to withdraw. In the last elections, Congress and CPM together secured only around 120 votes in that ward, while the BJP received over 1,100 votes. In such a situation, the BJP has no reason to influence or pressure Congress or CPM candidates to withdraw."
Kerala will go to polls in two phases to elect representatives to municipal corporations, municipalities, gram panchayats, block panchayats and district panchayats. Voters in seven southern and central districts (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Ernakulam) will cast their ballots on December 9.
The remaining seven districts (Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod) will vote on December 11. Counting of votes is scheduled for December 13. The Model Code of Conduct is currently in effect across the state.
