Kannur (Keralam) [India], April 6 : Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Monday accused the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) of a "secret deal" with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while addressing a public rally in Peravoor during her campaign for the forthcoming 2026 Keralam Legislative Assembly elections.
She said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not said a single word about the massive gold thefts from the Sabrimala temple.
"As the elections are nearing, there has been a secret deal between the LDF and the BJP...We have seen massive thefts from Sabrimala, but not one word from the Prime Minister," Priyanka Gandhi said.
She warmly invited a child onto the stage during her election campaign visit to Peravoor in Kannur.
The child, who was waiting with a rose, had come dressed in the style of Indira Gandhi, drawing attention from the crowd. Moved by the gesture, Priyanka Gandhi called the child to the stage, creating a heartwarming moment during the campaign event.
She also highlighted the issue of unemployment among educated youth in the state.
Priyanka Gandhi said, "I have now been the MP of Wayanad for the last year, a little more than one year, and I see very closely the problems and struggles that you face. I can see that all of you have struggled and worked extremely hard to educate your children."
She further added, "The people I come across are well-educated. When I meet young people in Keralam who are well educated, very often they do not have jobs, and if they do, those jobs are outside the state."
Polling for the 2026 Keralam Assembly elections is scheduled for April 9, with counting set for May 4. The current Assembly's tenure ends on May 23.
Keralam has been governed by the CPI(M)-led LDF for the past decade. In the 2021 elections, the LDF retained power with 99 seats, marking the first consecutive term for an incumbent government since 1977. The United Democratic Front (UDF) won 41 seats, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) failed to secure any seat despite an 11.4 per cent vote share.
Following the 2021 victory, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan became the first Keralam CM to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term. In that Assembly, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) emerged as the largest party with 62 seats, Congress won 21, CPI secured 17, and the Indian Union Muslim League, a key UDF ally, won 15 seats.
The LDF coalition includes parties such as Kerala Congress (M), Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), while the UDF comprises Congress, Kerala Congress, and the Indian Union Muslim League. The NDA, led by the BJP, also features regional parties like Twenty 20, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena, and Kerala Kamaraj Congress.