THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Communist leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said among Ayyappa devotees, majority are communists.

"We shall come to know this if we take a survey of the people going to Sabarimala," Kodiyeri said this during his campaign for by-election at Aroor on Wednesday, countering the allegation of the UDF and NDA that communists are against believers.

"When I was the home minister, I visited Sabarimala and many devotees greeted me, saying Lal Salam," Kodiyeri said, adding that flags of various colours used during the LDF rally the other day didn't belong to the CPM.