Addressing an election rally in Pathanamthitta on Monday, Rahul Gandhi characterised the upcoming 2026 Kerala Assembly elections as a battle between the Congress-led UDF and what he described as a covert alliance between the LDF and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Leader of Opposition argued that the Left Democratic Front government was actually functioning under the thumb of the BJP Centre, citing the fact that no federal action had been taken against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as evidence of this.
Gandhi sought to further his narrative of a "nexus" by highlighting that while he had dozens of cases against him for opposing the BJP, no action had been taken against the Kerala Chief Minister. He also drew attention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speech in Palakkad, noting that the PM conspicuously avoided mentioning the Sabarimala gold theft case. According to Gandhi, Left leaders allegedly replaced temple gold with brass, yet the Prime Minister — who frequently speaks on religious matters — stayed silent on the issue.
"There is a hidden hand of the BJP in these elections," Gandhi told the crowd, asserting that the BJP views the Congress as its only true national challenger and is therefore backing the LDF to keep the UDF out of power. He went further in his critique of the state government, claiming it has abandoned Communist ideology in favour of a "corporate-funded" model, and alleged that the Chief Minister is "controlled" by his own corruption.
The Congress leader is currently on a two-day campaign trail in Kerala. He is starting the tour from Thiruvananthapuram and passing through the central and southern districts before proceeding to the northern districts. The itinerary includes roadshows in important assembly constituencies such as Adoor, Puthuppally, and Athirampuzha. During these campaigns, the UDF is promoting the party’s key manifesto promises such as free bus travel for women and a monthly allowance of ₹3,000 for senior citizens.
With the state having broken its decades-long tradition of alternating power in 2021 by re-electing Pinarayi Vijayan, the stakes for this April's vote are incredibly high. While the LDF and UDF remain the heavyweights, the BJP is also looking to capitalise on recent local gains. Following the vote on April 9, the final results are set to be declared on May 4.
Also read: ‘Enough is enough’: Modi claims pro-NDA wave in Kerala
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