CMRL-Exalogic payoff case: Pinarayi Vijayan says ED’s charges shows a ‘shared political agenda’ between BJP and Congress

Thiruvananthapuram

Leader of the Opposition in Keralam, Pinarayi Vijayan, on Saturday (September 12, 2026) said there was something politically uncanny about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking the cooperation of the Congress-ruled Keralam government to implicate him in the CMRL-Exalogic payoff case. 

Mr. Vijayan doubted during a press conference in Kannur whether the move to implicate him in a corruption case was a “shared political agenda” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and the United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Keralam. 

Mr. Vijayan said non-BJP parties, including the Congress, had accused the ED of being a cat’s paw in the hands of the Union government to intimidate, harass and arm-twist political opponents. The ED’s victims included Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. “However, in Keralam, Congress leaders seemed to enthusiastically endorse the ED’s attempts to target Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leaders”, he said. 

Mr. Vijayan said that the Vigilance Court, the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court had thrown out the ED’s accusation that he had used the heft of his office as Chief Minister in the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) dispensation to help CMRL, a chemical company in which Keralam government has a minority stake, make illicit profits in return for backhanders camouflaged as sizeable retainers to Exalogic, a now-defunct software consultancy firm owned by his daughter T Veena, for services allegedly not rendered. 

Mr. Vijayan pointed out that the apex judiciary had trounced Congress legislator Mathew Kuzhalnadan’s relentless attempts to implicate him on false charges to lay the groundwork for an ED enquiry.

‘ED resurrecting false charges’

“Now, the ED, in an act of desperation impelled by its flailing, politically motivated investigation into the patently legitimate CMRL-Exalogic software contract, is seeking the Congress government’s imprimatur to resurrect the false charges negated by the Supreme Court. The ED’s action amounts to judicial overreach, contempt of court, and double jeopardy.

Mr. Vijayan said the ED’s case oscillated between him causing loss to CMRL, as alleged by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), on which the agency had predicated the entire probe, and, more recently, giving undue advantage to the chemical firm in exchange for sizeable bribes, as alleged in the 25-page report to the State Police Chief (SPC) demanding the registration of a corruption case. 

Mr. Vijayan dared the ED and the Congress government to place on record what undue benefit he had accorded to CMRL as Chief Minister, allegedly in return for bribes routed through Ms Veena’s firm, Exalogic. “The transaction between the two firms was through legitimate banking channels and tax-compliant. The SFIO’s allegation against Exalogic is under challenge in the Delhi High Court, “ he reiterated.