Kochi, Jan 19 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday struck a defiant ideological note in Kochi as he addressed a mammoth Maha Panchayat gathering of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), congratulating nearly 7,800 Congress representatives who emerged victorious in the December 2025 local body elections.

The programme marked the UDF’s first major post-poll mobilisation and underlined its renewed confidence ahead of the Assembly elections.

Hailing the mandate as a “stunning victory”, Rahul Gandhi said protecting the Constitution was inseparable from strengthening grassroots democracy.

“If we want to protect the Constitution, we must protect the third tier of governance. That is where you have succeeded,” he said, recalling that the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments empowering local self-governments were conceived by the Congress.

Drawing a sharp ideological contrast, Rahul Gandhi said the BJP-RSS believed in centralisation of power, while the Congress stood firmly for decentralisation.

“They want compliance, not participation. They do not want to hear the voice of the people,” he said, accusing the ruling dispensation of promoting a “culture of silence” to concentrate the country’s wealth and assets in the hands of a few corporate houses.

Referring to his interaction earlier in the day with veteran writer Dr M. Leelavathy, the Congress MP said her warning about the spread of silence across India was deeply relevant.

“I can say with 100 per cent certainty that no one can silence the voice of Kerala. The coming election will show Kerala speaking out loudly,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi said he had consistently maintained, even in internal discussions in Delhi, that the UDF would win both the local body and Assembly elections.

However, he said the more important question was what the Congress and the UDF should deliver once in power, identifying unemployment as Kerala’s most pressing challenge and calling for a clear, people-centric vision.

Taking questions from the audience, the former grand old party chief responded to a query on what people could expect from a Congress-led UDF government by saying it would be one that listens to the people and remains accessible.

On the future of the now-weakened MGNREGA, he said the programme, designed by the UPA to guarantee minimum wages and dignity of work, was being attacked because the present government was unwilling to pay minimum wages and opposed decentralised implementation.

“They want to run the country from Delhi through bureaucracy,” he said.

“But when Covid struck, it was MGNREGA that saved millions,” Rahul Gandhi added.

Praising Kerala’s political culture, communal harmony and strong grassroots accountability, the Lok Sabha MP reminded the newly elected representatives that they had been entrusted with the people’s confidence.

“Cherish and defend that trust. As Congress members, you are defending the Constitution — and you will not allow a culture of silence to take root,” he said.

–IANS

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