Rahul Gandhi touched down in Alappuzha today to lead the UDF campaign as Kerala nears its April 9 polling date. In a sharp offensive, Gandhi accused the LDF of maintaining a "secret understanding" with the BJP, claiming the two parties have aligned their interests to target the UDF.
While reiterating his allegation of a BJP-LDF understanding, he accused PM Modi of not speaking about the Sabarimala issue during the election campaign.
Ex-CPM leader G. Sudhakaran was also present on stage. While addressing him, Gandhi said, "It is not that he has suddenly changed his thinking. People who spend many years in a political organisation absorb its values. He is not here out of opportunism. He is here because something fundamental has happened to the LDF," said Gandhi.
Sudhakaran is contesting as an Independent with UDF support from Ambalapuzha.
Gandhi stressed that there is a deeper shift within the CPI(M)-led LDF.
"What does LDF stand for-- Left Democratic Front. Now, frankly, there is nothing Left in the LDF. After the election, there will be nothing left in it," he added.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha further divided the LDF leadership into two distinct camps: the "opportunists" seeking power at any cost, regardless of BJP or RSS support, and the "betrayed" veterans. The latter, he argued, are long-standing party loyalists who are now deeply disillusioned by the LDF's current ideological direction.
Gandhi alleged that what was disturbing leaders and workers within the Left was a "hidden hand" guiding the LDF.
"That hidden hand is communal, does not accept the Constitution of India, divides people and spreads hatred. Everyone in Kerala can see the connection between BJP, RSS and CPI(M)," he charged.
He said Modi speaks about God, religion and temples in every speech.
"But when he comes to Kerala, he forgets all that because he wants to help the LDF. The truth is he knows the LDF will never challenge him nationally," Gandhi alleged.
Addressing the safety of minorities, Rahul Gandhi alleged that CM Pinarayi Vijayan is in league with those orchestrating attacks on Muslims and Christians. From the assault on our nuns in Chhattisgarh to the burning of churches in Manipur, the Chief Minister is in league with the perpetrators," Gandhi asserted, directly linking the LDF leadership to a national anti-minority agenda.
He further alleged that both Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Vijayan, after prolonged tenures in power, have succumbed to "arrogance" and become structurally disconnected from the struggles of the common man.
