Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 19 (IANS): In a scathing attack on the Kerala unit of the CPI(M), Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, VD Satheesan, on Tuesday slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan-led party of pressurising the national leadership to refrain from joining the coordination committee of the Opposition bloc INDIA.

The CPI(M) has a presence in Kerala only, after losing its base in West Bengal and Tripura, which they ruled for long.

“The Kerala unit of the CPI(M) wants to please the BJP national leadership as they are in deep trouble due to their involvement in scams and corrupt deals. The leadership here is involved in the gold smuggling scam, corruption in Life Mission and in the cooperative banking sector,” said Satheesan.

“They know that if they do not join the INDIA bloc’s coordination committee, they will be able to please the BJP.

"The CPI(M) is indebted to the BJP for not going tough on them in these scams and corrupt deals. Hence, the Kerala unit has prevailed upon its national leadership to take such a decision,” added Satheesan.

Last week the CPI(M) decided to stay out of the coordination committee of the INDIA bloc but will remain a part of the anti-BJP coalition formed by national and state parties for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.