KANNUR: Senior BJP leader C K Padmanabhan said the Congress had come for a consensus on votes ahead of the assembly elections in 2001. Padmanabhan said UDF leaders’ P K Kunhalikutty and K M Mani came for the discussions. He said that he, P P Mukundan and Ved Prakash Goyal attended the discussions.

Padmanabhan said that he was a candidate in Manjeshwar in the elections in 2001. The Congress and the League came again for a tie up. I too attended the discussions held with Mani, Kunhalikutty, P P Mukundan and Ved Prakash Goyal, who was in charge of BJP's Kerala. Their target was anti-CPM votes, he said.

The Congress and the League wanted our votes. They did not hesitate in approaching us. They rebuked us for minority votes. Padmanabhan said that he had made it clear in 2001 that there was no alliance if they targeted to repeat 1991.

Congressmen try to garner BJP votes. I was the candidate in Kasargod Parliamentary constituency. Mararji was a candidate for Manjeshwar assembly seat. We got information that there was an understanding between the Congress and the League at that time. Then we thought Mararji will win. We were very happy, but with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the situation changed, Padmanabhan said. The congress cheated us. The congress is like Mareecha (Ramayana). The congress can never influence the BJP like before, he said.