“A national-level alliance will not be helpful. We need to unite all the anti-BJP groups at the state-level and defeat the BJP in each state. That is the only way forward,” CPM state secretary M V Govindan said.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had suggested a similar strategy a day ago.

“Everyone who knows Congress, knows that Karnataka was the only state where they could contest polls effectively. The other states where they can are Gujarat, Rajasthan and some similar states.

“But there too, the Congress is in a weak position. Even now, they have internal conflicts,” he contended.

The CPM state secretary said the Congress should focus on deciding a Chief Minister and cabinet ministers for Karnataka while remaining careful and vigilant against any alleged attempts by the BJP to poach their MLAs.

“Everyone knows that the BJP has the wherewithal to buy MLAs. It happened in Goa amidst the then ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra,” he said.

The CPM leader was referring to the crossing over of eight of the 11 Congress MLAs in Goa in September last year to the ruling BJP in the western state just months after the Assembly elections were held there.

Govindan asserted that the BJP was the biggest threat and the people want to defeat it.

Therefore, all anti-BJP groups should come together to defeat it as one, he said.

Govindan’s statement is in contrast to his party colleague and Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan’s view that Congress was one of the strongest parties in India and there was nothing wrong with asking them to come forward in the fight against BJP.

“Let them lead from the front,” he said and at the same time added that he does not agree with the Congress’ stand on various issues in Kerala.

“However, to ensure secularism in the country, they need to be at the forefront. There is no argument on that,” he had said.