Rahul Gandhi interacting with students at Marian College in Kuttikkanam on Friday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
On Monday (March 9, 2026), there were echoes of the Kerala Assembly elections at the INDIA block meeting where two Left MPs – Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Rajya Sabha leader John Brittas and Communist Party of India (CPI) P. Sandosh Kumar – expressed their “strong disapproval” of Congress supremo Rahu G Sabha and its leader Rahu G Sabha. recent remarks against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government in Kerala. They termed the remarks as “inappropriate” and alleged that such comments harm the unity of the INDIA bloc.
According to several leaders present at the meeting in Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s room, Mr Kumar first raised the issue when he called Mr Gandhi’s remarks against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government “inappropriate”. At a public meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on March 7, Mr Gandhi, citing 36 cases against him and a 55-hour interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate, questioned why no action had been taken against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan or his family. “The reason is that they are working together. Actually in Kerala it is not CPM and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), it is CJP,” he said, repeating the term used by the Kerala unit of the Congress – “Communist Janata Party”.
Mr. Gandhi further accused the Kerala government of working for corporate interests and suggested that they should rename themselves the “Corporatist Party of India” to better reflect their position.
Mr. Brittas backed Mr. Kumar’s criticism, saying, sources said, that the Left parties are an integral part of the INDIA bloc that has come together in opposition to the BJP. Such “inappropriate remarks” he said on the eve of the parliamentary session, when the opposition must remain united, was not the right approach.
Mr. Kharge tried to intervene and suggested that the matter should be handled bilaterally rather than in this forum. Mr. Gandhi, they learned, did not reply to Mr. Kumar and Mr. Brittas and only smiled.
Talking to reporters, Congress general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal said that the Left MPs tried to raise the issue but other leaders intervened and reminded them that this was not a suitable platform. He also sought to differentiate between the regional units of the Left parties in Kerala and the national leadership of the Left parties, noting that while the Congress is attacking the regional units, it has no differences with the national parties.
Published – 9 March 2026 20:10 IST
