Ahead of polling, Congress sharpens attack on Kerala CM with pointed questions on policy decisions, investigations and political links, signalling a high-stakes campaign battle.
Congress MP KC Venugopal | ANI
With Kerala heading into Assembly elections, Congress MP KC Venugopal has written a sharp open letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, raising a series of questions and alleging a possible understanding between the CPI(M)-led government and the BJP.
The letter, framed as 10 direct questions, comes at a time when the political contest between the ruling LDF and the Congress-led UDF is intensifying. The Opposition has repeatedly accused the Left of quietly aligning with the BJP at the Centre, a charge the ruling front has denied.
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Venugopal, who is also Congress General Secretary (Organisation), asked the Chief Minister to explain the purpose of his meetings with top Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman and Nitin Gadkari. He questioned why some of these interactions were held without officials and asked if any “deal” was being worked out.
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The Congress leader also raised concerns over policy decisions and ongoing cases. He pointed to the implementation of the Centre’s PM SHRI scheme in Kerala despite reported objections from CPI, an ally in the ruling coalition, and asked why it was pushed through.
On labour reforms, Venugopal alleged that decisions linked to the central labour codes were taken without consulting allies. He also questioned changes in trade union registration fees and asked who stood to benefit.
The letter further refers to the SNC-Lavalin case and suggests that repeated delays in court proceedings raise questions. Venugopal also mentioned the Exalogic case, the Kodakara hawala matter, and Enforcement Directorate notices linked to the Chief Minister’s family, asking if there was any connection with what he described as a larger “understanding” with the Centre.
He also sought answers on allegations involving senior police officer M R Ajith Kumar and the handling of the Thrissur Pooram issue. The letter asks whether there were any undisclosed meetings between the Chief Minister and BJP leaders.
The Congress MP also brought up the gold and dollar smuggling cases linked to former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar, questioning why investigations slowed down and what became of the Justice VK Mohanan Commission set up by the state.
The letter ends by urging the Chief Minister to respond to what he described as “questions in the minds of the people” after a decade of governance.
Kerala is set to vote on April 9 for its 140-member Assembly, with counting scheduled for May 4.
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