CMRL-Exalogic case: CPI(M) alleges Congress-BJP deal to target Pinarayi Vijayan
Synopsis
In a rare political paradox, both CPI(M) and BJP are attacking Kerala's Congress-led UDF government over the same CMRL-Exalogic probe — but from opposite directions. The Left says the Crime Branch inquiry is a Congress-BJP conspiracy to finish Pinarayi Vijayan; the BJP says it is a UDF-LDF cover-up to protect him. Both can't be right, but both gain politically from the framing.
Key Takeaways
CPI(M) state secretary M.V.
Govindan accused Chief Minister V.D.
Satheesan of acting as the 'B team of PM Modi' and alleged a Congress-BJP understanding to target former CM Pinarayi Vijayan .
Muraleedharan took the opposite view, alleging the Crime Branch probe is a UDF-LDF arrangement to shield Vijayan from a stronger investigation.
Muraleedharan demanded the case be handed to the CBI , arguing the Income Tax Department , SFIO , and ED had already probed the matter.
The CMRL-Exalogic case involves alleged financial transactions linked to Vijayan's daughter Veena T. and her husband, CPI(M) MLA P.A.
The UDF government maintains it acted on ED communication and that further steps will follow in accordance with law.
The political battle over the CMRL-Exalogic case took a dramatic turn on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) levelling sharply contrasting allegations against the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala — both attacking the same administration from opposite flanks over a Crime Branch investigation ordered into the case.
CPI(M)'s Charge: Congress Acting as BJP's 'B Team'
CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan accused Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan of functioning as the 'B team of Prime Minister Modi' and alleged an understanding between the Congress and BJP to target former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and weaken the CPI(M) in Kerala. Govindan specifically questioned the UDF government's decision to order a Crime Branch probe based on communication received from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the monthly-payment case.
According to Govindan, the two principal rivals at the national level had, in his reading, effectively joined hands in Kerala to politically eliminate the CPI(M). The allegation, remarkable in its framing, attempts to present the ruling Congress-led coalition as a proxy for central BJP pressure on the Left.
BJP's Counter: Crime Branch Probe Is a Shield, Not a Sword
The BJP took the diametrically opposite position. Party MLA V. Muraleedharan alleged that the Crime Branch investigation was, in fact, part of a UDF-LDF understanding designed to shield Vijayan from a more rigorous probe. Muraleedharan questioned why yet another preliminary investigation was being ordered when the Income Tax Department, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), and the ED had already conducted inquiries into the matter.
He argued that the Vigilance Department should have taken up the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) referral. 'If the government was sincere in pursuing the matter, it should hand over the investigation to the CBI,' Muraleedharan said.
What the CMRL-Exalogic Case Is About
The CMRL-Exalogic case concerns alleged financial transactions involving CMRL and Exalogic Solutions, a company linked to former Chief Minister Vijayan's daughter, Veena T. The ED had previously sought further investigation into the transactions. Vijayan's son-in-law, CPI(M) legislator and former state minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, is also reportedly under the probe scanner.
The UDF government has maintained that it ordered the Crime Branch investigation based on the ED's communication and that all further action would follow in accordance with law — a response that has satisfied neither the CPI(M) nor the BJP.
The Political Crossfire and What It Signals
The competing charges have placed the UDF government in an unusual political crossfire: the CPI(M) insists it is targeting Vijayan at the BJP's behest, while the BJP insists it is protecting him. Notably, both accusations — though mutually contradictory — serve their respective political purposes: the Left frames the probe as political vendetta, while the BJP frames it as a whitewash. This is a pattern seen in Kerala politics when a high-profile investigation touches a former chief minister.
The development is likely to intensify scrutiny on the UDF government's handling of the case as all three parties position themselves ahead of the next state electoral cycle. How the Crime Branch proceeds — and whether a CBI transfer is eventually sought — will determine whether this remains a political controversy or escalates into a substantive legal reckoning.
Point of View
Not for factual consistency. What gets lost in the noise is the actual question: was the Crime Branch the appropriate investigative authority here, given that central agencies had already been active? The UDF's silence on that specific process question is more telling than any cross-party allegation. Kerala's political culture of multilateral blame-shifting often delays accountability, and the Exalogic case risks following that script unless the probe produces a clear, time-bound outcome.
NationPress
22 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CMRL-Exalogic case in Kerala?
The CMRL-Exalogic case involves alleged financial transactions between CMRL and Exalogic Solutions, a company linked to former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena T. The Enforcement Directorate had sought further investigation, which prompted the Kerala government to order a Crime Branch probe. CPI(M) MLA and former minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, Veena's husband, is also reportedly under the probe scanner.
What did CPI(M)'s M.V. Govindan allege about the Congress-BJP deal?
CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan alleged that Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan was acting as the 'B team of PM Modi' and that the Congress and BJP had joined hands to target former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and weaken the CPI(M) in Kerala. He specifically questioned the UDF government's decision to order a Crime Branch investigation based on ED communication.
Why does the BJP oppose the Crime Branch probe?
BJP MLA V. Muraleedharan argued that the Crime Branch investigation is actually a UDF-LDF arrangement designed to shield Vijayan from a more effective probe. He pointed out that the Income Tax Department, SFIO, and ED had already conducted inquiries and demanded the case be transferred to the CBI instead.
What has the Kerala government said about the investigation?
The UDF government has maintained that it ordered the Crime Branch probe based on communication from the Enforcement Directorate, and that further action will follow in accordance with law. It has not directly addressed the contrasting allegations from the CPI(M) and BJP.
What makes this political situation in Kerala unusual?
Both the CPI(M) and BJP are attacking the same UDF government over the same investigation, but with mutually contradictory claims — one says the probe is a conspiracy to target Vijayan, the other says it is a cover-up to protect him. This places the ruling Congress-led coalition in a rare double-sided political crossfire.
