Published Mar 30, 2026 | 7:18 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 30, 2026 | 7:18 PM
Rahul Gandhi addressing an election campaign rally in Pathanamthitta on Monday.
Synopsis: Rahul Gandhi, campaigning in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, blended the controversial Sabarimala parody song with sharp political messaging—accusing the LDF of corruption and alleging a tacit understanding between the Left and the BJP while positioning the UDF as the only credible alternative. Alongside attacks on both state and central leadership, he pitched economic promises such as fixing rubber prices and framed the election as a choice between a “UDF versus LDF-BJP combine.”
It wasn’t a routine campaign speech. Standing before a charged crowd in Pathanamthitta, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi broke into a line many in Kerala instantly recognised: “Swarnam kattath aarappa (who stole the gold)…”.
The moment he said it, the crowd picked it up, applause swelling across the venue.
Gandhi paused, let the reaction settle, and then told the audience that those lines, now part of Kerala’s political folklore, reflected what he called the “truth behind this election.”
The parody song — controversial and even the subject of police complaints in the past — was widely used in the local body polls in 2025 to target the CPI(M)-led Left over allegations tied to Sabarimala.
Gandhi leaned into that sentiment, using it as a springboard to attack both the state and central leadership. Sabarimala, the abode of the celibate God, Lord Ayyappa, is in the Pathanamthitta district.
From there, he quickly shifted to what he framed as the two defining threads of his campaign in Kerala: the alleged corruption linked to the Left government, and what he described as a quiet political understanding between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the BJP.
At multiple stops — Pathanamthitta, Ranni, Adoor, and later in Kottayam district — Gandhi repeated a sharp formulation: “On one side is the UDF. On the other hand, the LDF and BJP together.” It’s a line he returned to often, suggesting that while the BJP targets opposition leaders elsewhere, it has shown little urgency in pursuing cases against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
He contrasted his own experience — citing 36 cases and long hours of questioning — with what he called the absence of similar pressure on the Kerala leadership. “Those who fight the BJP are attacked. Those who don’t are left alone,” he said, implying a tacit understanding between the two.
Standing in Kottayam’s plantation belt, Gandhi said the first Cabinet meeting of a UDF government would fix rubber’s support price at ₹250 per kg, with a plan to push it to ₹300.
Gandhi’s invocation of the parody song was not incidental. He tied it directly to allegations that gold offerings at Sabarimala Temple had been misused — a charge repeatedly raised in political campaigns but strongly contested by the Left.
He accused the LDF leadership of “looting Ayyappa’s gold” and said the issue was being deliberately ignored. Turning to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said it was striking that a leader who frequently speaks about temples and religion elsewhere had little to say about Sabarimala while campaigning in Kerala.
“Everywhere else, it’s temples and faith. But here, silence,” he remarked, suggesting that the Prime Minister’s restraint was politically calculated. According to Gandhi, the BJP sees an advantage in an LDF government continuing in Kerala, arguing that such a government would be easier to manage and less likely to challenge the Centre.
He pushed the argument further, claiming that if the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) came to power, it would pursue investigations into the allegations more aggressively. “It is what they want to avoid,” he said.
The Congress leader also questioned whether the Left in Kerala still functioned as a genuine ideological force. “Even Left workers doubt whether this government is truly Left,” he said, accusing it of catering to big corporate interests while failing to address everyday economic distress.
If Pathanamthitta was about political messaging, Kottayam was where Gandhi leaned into economic assurances.
Rahul Gandhi cycling with Puthupally candidate Chandy Oommen.
Addressing gatherings in Pampady and Puthuppally, he made a clear, measurable promise: the first Cabinet meeting of a UDF government would fix the support price of rubber at ₹250 per kilogram.
Calling Kottayam the “land of latex,” he reminded the audience that Kerala produces nearly 90 per cent of India’s natural rubber. He accused the LDF of failing to honour its earlier promise of maintaining similar price levels and said the current figures being discussed by the government fell short of what farmers needed.
“We are not here to make empty promises,” he said, adding that the price would later be increased to ₹300 in phases. Farmers and workers, he said, form the backbone of both the state and the country, and policy must reflect that.
The Kottayam visit also had an emotional note. Gandhi recalled former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, speaking about how he insisted on walking during the Bharat Jodo Yatra despite ill health. Mentioning the long funeral procession that followed Chandy’s passing, Gandhi said it reflected the deep connection he had with people — and explained why he chose to campaign in Puthuppally for his son Chandy Oommen.
Beyond Kerala, Gandhi widened his attack to the Centre’s policies and leadership.
Rahul Gandhi at Kottayam on Monday
He criticised the Modi government’s handling of foreign relations, alleging that India’s strategic decisions were being influenced by external pressures. Referring to US President Donald Trump, he claimed that global political dynamics were affecting India’s autonomy in areas like energy and trade.
He also brought up industrialist Gautam Adani, alleging that ongoing cases in the United States were being used as leverage against the Indian government — claims the BJP has repeatedly rejected.
Linking all of this back to Kerala, Gandhi argued that political control flows downward: “Just as pressure is applied at the top, it is passed down,” he said, suggesting that the Centre uses such leverage to keep state governments aligned.
He reiterated that only Congress has the capacity to challenge the BJP nationally, while dismissing the LDF as ineffective in that role. “They know it. The BJP knows it too,” he said.
Gandhi ended on a forward-looking note, speaking about his vision for Kerala. He said he would like to see a woman Chief Minister in the state someday, framing it as part of a broader push for women’s empowerment.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
