Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) supremo Brinda Karat launched a scathing attack on the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Thrissur on Tuesday (March 31), accusing them of running “fake campaigns” and trying to divert attention from real issues, with her harshest criticism reserved for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
At a press conference here, she said that the opposition, especially the UDF, was acting out of “desperation”. “Like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leaders are running lie production units and spreading lies to divert people’s attention,” she said.
Ms. Karat mocked the Congress’s “five guarantees” and questioned Rahul Gandhi’s credibility. “Why doesn’t he examine the record of Congress-ruled states before making such promises?” she asked.
“The Congress-led governments have betrayed the people. In Telangana, women were promised ₹2,500. Two years have passed and no one has received it. Where is the money promised to farm workers? You said unconstitutional laws in Karnataka will be repealed. What happened? There have been several cases of communal violence in Karnataka, not a single one in the last one year,” she said. She added that Rahul Gandhi “should understand that the people of Kerala are educated”.
Talking about his remarks about Sabarimala, Ms Karat said he “scored an own goal. He asked who took Potti to Sabarimala. I am asking who introduced Potti to Sonia Gandhi?” she said.
Ms Karat also dismissed allegations of an LDF-BJP understanding and turned the allegations back on the Congress. “The quid pro quo is when Congress MPs and MLAs join the BJP and when the Congress votes shift to the BJP. In the last Lok Sabha elections, the Congress helped the BJP win Thrissur,” she claimed.
Alleging that the LDF had built the Wayanad Rehabilitation Township despite the Centre’s non-cooperation, she accused the Congress of inaction. “How much money has Congress collected for Wayanad? Where is it? Why not a single house has been built? We don’t want Kerala to become an ATM for Congress,” she said.
She argued that the LDF’s struggle was both political and ideological. “All forces trying to deflect real issues, personalize campaigns, denigrate Kerala’s achievements and weaken the democratic struggle are our adversaries,” she said.
Ms. Karat dismissed allegations of SDPI nexus and said voters in Kerala are independent. “No one can dictate their vote. People from all communities support the LDF. This is what is troubling the UDF and the NDA,” she said. In response to the ‘A team’ remark, the Prime Minister quipped: “For Modi, ‘A’ stands for Adani, Ambani and America.”
Ms Karat also launched a strong attack on proposed changes to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), calling them “draconian” and targeting minorities. She alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was receiving large foreign funds without transparency. “Nobody knows how much money they get. It’s not even a registered organization,” she said. “Mr Modi is using his majority to target Christian-held institutions. This is blackmail – either join us or risk losing your institutions,” she alleged.
Highlighting the LDF government’s record, Ms Karat said its campaign had created a strong response across Kerala. “We present 10 years of governance and an alternative model of development. Even under economic constraints from the Centre, Kerala has progressed in education, health and infrastructure,” she said.
Calling Kerala an “oasis of communal harmony”, she said the state had not seen any major communal conflict in the last decade. “We are showcasing both our achievements and our vision for Nava Keralam,” she added.
Addressing the media in Kochi on Monday (March 30), Ms Karat said the Congress, which had made tall promises in Telangana and Karnataka, had failed to deliver on them. Congress will not come to Kerala with such offers because the LDF government has ensured a very robust social security framework where education and health get government funds.
The Congress in Karnataka could not keep its word on the promise to repeal the anti-minority and anti-people laws introduced by the previous regime. Serious allegations of corruption have been leveled against Congress leaders and MPs from Kerala regarding the sale of assembly seats in Haryana and Telangana. “These are the people who are now coming to Kerala and talking about political integrity. We are going to elections on the basis of our work and not on the basis of allegations,” she said.
Published – 31 March 2026 20:08 IST
