Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the lack of progress in corruption cases against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was the best evidence of collusion between the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the BJP in the state.
Gandhi made the claim while addressing a massive election rally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kozhikode via video conferencing. Although Gandhi was scheduled to visit Kozhikode on Wednesday, he missed the trip after his mother Sonia Gandhi was admitted to hospital in Delhi. AICC president Mallikarjun Karge flew to Kerala in Gandhi’s absence.
Gandhi launched a parallel attack on the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the Bharatiya Janata Party and said that anyone who opposes the BJP is being attacked with false issues being imposed on them.
“I have 40 cases against me. I have been interrogated for five consecutive days by the Enforcement Directorate. The BJP is attacking me every second of every day. I want to ask people: Why is the BJP not attacking the Kerala Chief Minister? Why are corruption cases against the Chief Minister not going anywhere? This is the best evidence of collusion between the BJP and the LDF,” Gandhi alleged.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said that there are only two coalitions fighting in Kerala – the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the BJP-CPI (Maoist) partnership.
“The United Democratic Front unites people, listens to them, embraces them and empowers them. The United Democratic Front and its hidden partner, the BJP, divide people and crush their dreams,” he said.
“Modiji promised two jobs at the national level. The Prime Minister promised 40,000 jobs at the state level. Even after a decade, they have not given a single job to anyone. In fact, they have crushed their dreams. Neither the BJP nor the LDF leaders believe that they are accountable to the people,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi, the former MP from Wayanad in Kerala, launched an attack on the Vijayan-led LDF government, alleging that one in three young Keralans are unemployed due to the LDF’s wrong policies. He said appointments behind closed doors were the order of the day and a red carpet awaited anyone who personally knew the Prime Minister or the LDF leaders.
“Merit does not matter if you know the LDF leaders. You may be a PSC rank holder, but you will not get a job. Instead of making Kerala No. 1 in technology or employment, they made the state No. 1 in drug cases,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, Karg on Wednesday made a clarion call to the United Democratic Front’s campaign for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, saying people are demanding a change in governance. Kharge also criticized the LDF over its handling of the Sabarimala gold theft case.
“The LDF government did not even spare God. They stole gold from the Sabarimala temple. What can one expect from such a government and such a party?” He said.
