Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday alleged that the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has struck a “deal” with the BJP for the April 9 Assembly elections in Kerala, accusing the ruling alliance of compromising its ideology, accountability and responsibility just to complete a 10‑year stint in power. Addressing a corner meeting in Peravoor, Kannur, she sharpened the Congress attack on both the state government and the BJP‑led Centre.
Gandhi claimed that the LDF has chosen to “make a deal” with the BJP, which she said “harasses” minorities, especially the Christian community and nuns”. She singled out the Sabarimala temple gold theft case**, alleging that despite the massive siphoning of precious metal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi “chose not to utter a single word against it” and used the silence as a political tool. In her view, this inaction is part of the alleged understanding between the LDF and BJP ahead of the polls.
Central agencies vs Kerala CM
Drawing a sharp contrast between the Centre’s use of investigative agencies and the treatment of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Gandhi said anyone who raises a voice against the Prime Minister is immediately confronted with CBI, ED, or income tax cases. But, she claimed, there is “not a single such case” against Vijayan, which, in her words, shows that the LDF leadership is being shielded from similar scrutiny. That, she argued, is a sign of a secret or tacit understanding between the ruling Left front and the BJP at the Centre.
She also accused the LDF government, its ministers and leaders of developing a sense of arrogance and complacency, saying that the basic sense of responsibility and accountability toward people has “gone missing”. “The sense of responsibility or accountability that every leader should have for the people is absent today. Not just ideology is absent,” Gandhi alleged, repeating earlier charges that the CPI(M) is acting as the “B‑team” of Modi in Kerala.
Election message: LDF, BJP on the same side
By painting the LDF and BJP as politically aligned despite their apparent rivalry, Gandhi is trying to redraw the narrative in Kerala’s heavily polarised election arena. She framed the contest as one where Congress and other secular forces are standing alone against a combined front of the incumbent LDF and the BJP‑led Centre, which she says is targeting minorities and using central agencies against critics.
With the Assembly polls scheduled for April 9, the Congress hopes such rhetoric will energise its United Democratic Front (UDF) campaign, especially in northern Kerala, while forcing voters to question whether the LDF has truly upheld its leftist principles or bent them to secure power and protection from the ruling BJP at the Centre.
