CPI(M) Launches Fierce Counterattack Against Congress Over Kerala Election Remarks
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Thursday unleashed a sharp and strongly worded counterattack on Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge following their criticism of the party in poll-bound Kerala. The CPI(M) accused the Congress of deliberately targeting the Left for narrow electoral gains while adopting a soft stance toward the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Accusations of Congress Becoming a "Feeder Organisation" for BJP
In a formal statement, the CPI(M) asserted that the Congress was reneging on its professed commitment to combating communal and authoritarian forces. Instead, the party claimed the Congress had effectively transformed into "a feeder organisation for the BJP." The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expressed strong disapproval of what it labeled as "provocative statements" made by Gandhi and Kharge against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the secular credentials of the Left party.
"Such canards are being spread by them to secure cheap electoral gains in the Assembly elections. By targeting the CPI(M) instead of the BJP, the Congress leaders are reneging on their claim of fighting communal-authoritarian forces. The people of Kerala will see through this sinister agenda," the CPI(M) declared in its official statement.
Context of the Political Clash
The CPI(M)'s response was triggered by a broadside launched by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) during the kickoff of the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) campaign for the Kerala elections from Kozhikode on Wednesday. Addressing the campaign via video conferencing, Gandhi alleged a covert understanding between the LDF and the BJP within the state.
"There are actually only two sides fighting here in Keralam. One is the UDF alliance, and the other is the partnership between the BJP and the LDF. The UDF unites people, listens to them, and embraces and empowers them. The LDF and their hidden partner divide people and crush them," Gandhi stated.
He further referenced numerous cases filed against opposition leaders and questioned why analogous legal actions had not been pursued against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Gandhi highlighted that he personally faced approximately 40 cases and endured five consecutive days of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate, suggesting that the absence of similar scrutiny for Vijayan "despite corruption cases" served as evidence of a BJP-LDF understanding.
CPI(M) Counters with Historical Defections
Responding to these allegations, the CPI(M)—which is also a constituent of the INDIA bloc alongside the Congress—urged the Congress to introspect on why numerous of its leaders across various states had defected to the BJP. The statement pointed to specific examples to bolster its argument.
"It is a well-known fact that the present BJP Chief Minister of Assam held important portfolios in the earlier Congress government. In Tripura, the entire Congress leadership joined the BJP in 2018 in order to defeat the Left Front. Many ministers in the Union government and Members of Parliament belonging to the BJP were earlier prominent leaders in the Congress. The Congress became a feeder organisation for the BJP," the CPI(M) elaborated.
Allegations of Alliance with Minority Fundamentalist Forces
The party further escalated its criticism by accusing the Congress of aligning with minority fundamentalist forces within Kerala. "Even in these elections, the Congress is allying with minority fundamentalist forces. The Congress-League-BJP nexus has been exposed in various elections in Kerala, including the recently concluded local body elections," the statement contended.
Upcoming Kerala Elections
Kerala is scheduled to go to the polls on April 9, with the vote counting set for May 4. The Congress-led UDF is actively campaigning to unseat the incumbent LDF government, setting the stage for a highly contentious and closely watched electoral battle.
