Kerala Assembly Polls 2026: Rahul Gandhi continues to highlight CPI(M)-BJP ‘deal’, targets Pinarayi Vijayan again

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, continued to invoke the Sabarimala gold theft case and the alleged “deal” between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to target Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as he conducted roadshows and attended campaign events for United Democratic Front (UDF) candidates in parts of North Kerala on Tuesday.

Addressing a gathering of UDF workers outside a stadium in Koyilandy, around 28 km from Kozhikode city, in the evening, Mr. Gandhi gave “two proofs” to highlight the alleged collusion between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections in the State. He was taken to the venue in a roadshow attended by senior UDF leaders such as Indian Union Muslim League State president Panakkad Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal.

“In every speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about God, religion and temples. The Left Front leadership has stolen gold from Sabarimala, the most famous temple in Kerala. They have taken gold and replaced it with brass. However, they got a clean chit from the State government. Mr. Modi did not mention the word Sabarimala when he came here because he wants to support the Chief Minister,” the Congress leader alleged.

Pointing out that cases after cases had been slapped against him for opposing the BJP, Mr. Gandhi said that Mr. Vijayan, however, was yet to be questioned though “the whole of Kerala knows that he is corrupt.”

“How come your Chief Minister is not interrogated? How come his children have not been interrogated? How come the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the Income Tax are not after him? Somehow Mr. Modi is not doing anything about it. These are the proofs for why these leaders are together,” Mr. Gandhi said.

He alleged that the same way U.S. President Donald Trump was “controlling” Mr. Modi, Mr. Modi was controlling Mr. Vijayan. “If Mr. Modi says jump, your Chief Minister will jump. If he says lie down, the Chief Minister will lie down. If he says give this to [Gautam] Adani, he will do it. Because he knows his corruption can easily be exposed by the Prime Minister,” Mr. Gandhi said.

Earlier, he attended corner meetings at Kallachi in Nadapuram and in Perambra in the district. Thereafter, Mr. Gandhi travelled with selected people in a specially arranged bus which highlights the UDF’s five poll guarantees from Balussery to Nanminda. In the morning, he attended a public event in Kannur. Though the Congress leader was supposed to attend a public event at the Kozhikode beach last week to open the UDF’s election campaign, he had to skip it after his mother, Sonia Gandhi, was hospitalised. Mr. Gandhi later addressed the event online.