Alappuzha (Kerala), April 4 (IANS) Launching a sharp political offensive as campaigning enters its final stretch in Kerala, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the CPI-M-led Left of losing its ideological core and alleged a tacit understanding between the LDF and the BJP.

Sharing the stage with former Left leader G. Sudhakaran, Gandhi said his presence symbolised a deeper shift within the Left.

“He has not come here out of opportunism. Something fundamental has changed in the Left. Today, frankly, there is nothing left in the Left Democratic Front,” he said, adding that disillusionment within the ranks was growing.

A four-time CPI-M legislator and two-time Cabinet Minister, Sudhakaran was ousted from the CPI-M when he decided to contest as an independent candidate from his home turf at Ambalapuzha, and soon the Congress-led UDF decided to support him.

Gandhi alleged that a “hidden communal hand” was influencing the Left in Kerala, claiming that sections within the leadership were willing to align with the BJP-RSS for political survival, while committed workers felt “betrayed and let down”.

In a direct attack on both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he accused both leaders of growing “detached from the people.”

He argued that prolonged periods in power often breed “confusion and arrogance”, weakening the bond between leaders and citizens.

“When leaders begin to believe power belongs to them and not the people, that is when the disconnect begins,” he said.

He also questioned the Prime Minister’s silence on key state issues, alleging that the BJP was soft on the Left as it did not see it as a national challenge.

“The real fight for them is with the Congress and the UDF,” he asserted.

Highlighting governance concerns, Gandhi pointed to rising drug abuse, agrarian distress, and unemployment, while accusing the Left government of failing key sectors such as coir and paddy.

He also flagged attacks on minorities across the country, alleging ideological proximity between such forces and the ruling dispensation in Kerala.

Outlining the UDF’s promises, he announced welfare measures, including free bus travel for women, Rs 1,000 monthly support for college girls, Rs 3,000 social pension, and a comprehensive Rs 25 lakh health cover scheme for families.

After the Alappuzha rally, Gandhi is scheduled to continue his campaign in Kochi and Idukki later in the day, as the UDF intensifies its push ahead of polling.

Kerala goes to the polls on April 9 to elect 140 new legislators.

–IANS

sg/vd