"Spirit of Keralam, true spirit of India": Priyanka Gandhi attacks CM Vijayan for being PM Modi's B-team

Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], April 2 (ANI): Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said the people of Keralam embody the "true spirit of India," praising the state's traditions of free expression, education, equality, and compassion.
During a public rally in Chirayinkeezhu, Congress MP said, "This is a land of revolutionary thinkers like Narayan Guruji. He was one of the great inspirations of Mahatma Gandhi ji and in many ways, you still live those traditions today. The traditions of free expression, good education, equality, love and compassion for each other. I have no hesitation in saying that the spirit of Keralam is the true spirit of India."

While speaking to ANI, Priyanka Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for skipping an all-party meeting on the West Asia conflict, saying his absence shows he does not consider the discussion important.

"It was a very important discussion that had to take place, but he chose not to be there. He clearly thinks it is not important enough," the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad said.
Chirayinkeezhu Assembly constituency, one of the 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala, is part of Attingal parliamentary constituency and for the last three Assembly elections, it has been won by the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The UDF candidate here for the upcoming elections is Ramya Haridas, who was a Lok Sabha MP from Alathur Lok Sabha constituency in Palakkad from 2019 to 2024. Haridas is set to face Manoj B Edamana of the CPI and B S Anoop of the BJP. Incidentally, Anoop had contested the 2021 Assembly elections from the Chirayinkeezhu constituency on a UDF ticket.
In her speech today, Priyanka Gandhi slammed both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) for "neglecting" the needs of the people.
Priyanka Gandhi accused PM Modi of compromising India's sovereignty. "The policies of the Modi government are doing nothing for our people. He has chosen instead to bow down before Israel and the US. Our PM has handed our energy security to the Americans and signed our future away. They now tell us who we can buy from and when," she said.
In a scathing personal attack, Gandhi called the Prime Minister a "coward." "Modi is a coward. He does not have the courage to stand up for India. The people are paying the price every day for his decisions. We are paying because his name is in some Epstein files," she alleged.
The Congress leader did not spare the state government either, accusing the Left of being in cahoots with the BJP. "The Kerala CM is acting like the B-team of Narendra Modi. Why is it that none of the Left leaders have been attacked by the Centre? Even when there was a big theft in the Sabarimala Temple, the PM said nothing," she claimed.
She further alleged that both the BJP and the Left are "corrupt corporate parties" that have been in power too long.
Gandhi said it was time for a new government in Kerala. "As an MP from Kerala, I feel bad when I travel through my constituency. I see so many opportunities to help and create jobs being wasted every day. We have a state government negligent of your progress. A new government is necessary for Kerala to remind the leadership of its responsibility to the people," she said.
Gandhi also expressed concern for the Malayali diaspora in West Asia, stating that their families are "sick with worry" and claimed that the central government remains indifferent to their safety.
Gandhi highlighted the plight of nurses in the state, noting that many are forced to migrate due to low wages and lack of opportunities. "A nurse in this state couldn't find a job in her own home. When she finally did, the salary was so low she had to move to Delhi. The public health system is crumbling, there is a shortage of staff, and job creation is at an all-time low," she alleged.
She further claimed that sectors like tea, coffee, banana, and dairy are struggling due to rising prices and insufficient government support. "ASHA and Anganwadi workers protested for months, but their voices were silenced. The government only heard them when elections neared. They toil so much and get so little," she added.
Elections for the 2026 Keralam Legislative Assembly elections will be held on April 9, with the counting of votes on May 4. The tenure of the current assembly is set to conclude on May 23.
Earlier in the day, Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) unveiled its manifesto for the Kerala Assembly polls, scheduled to be held in exactly a week.
Key promises include free bus travel for women across the state, an increase in welfare pensions to Rs 3,000 monthly. College-going girl students will receive Rs 1,000 per month, and families will get a Rs 25 lakh insurance scheme.
Leader of Opposition and Congress leader VD Satheesan, along with other United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders, released the party's election manifesto in the event where Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was present.
The 2026 UDF manifesto includes a range of promises aimed at welfare, development, and employment. Under the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) Scheme, the party pledged to provide Rs 6,000 per month to the poorest families below the poverty line. Welfare pensions are set to increase in stages to Rs 3,000.
Farmers are also a focus, with support prices for rubber and paddy proposed at Rs 250 and Rs 35 per kilogram. On housing, the UDF promised to ensure homes for all eligible individuals by addressing defects in the 'Life Mission' project, aiming for a homeless-free Kerala.
In healthcare, the manifesto has reforms to make the Karunya Insurance scheme more efficient and the establishment of dialysis centres in all Panchayats. For education, UDF plans to set up international standard learning facilities in higher education through collaborations with foreign universities.
Employment initiatives include launching Skill Development programs to provide jobs to five lakh youth within five years. Consumer protection measures will target rising prices of essential goods. For the fishing community, sea relief and housing projects are set to be restarted.
Women's empowerment is also emphasised, with promises to expand self-employment loans through Kudumbashree and implement stricter laws for women's safety. Additionally, monthly free kits will be provided to all yellow cardholders (AAY). (ANI)