A Vijayaraghavan, a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo, claimed that a “communal Muslim alliance” supported Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in their electoral victory from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. Speaking at the CPI(M) district conference in Sulthan Bathery, Vijayaraghavan suggested that without this support, Rahul Gandhi would not have achieved his position as Opposition leader.
This statement aligns with CPI(M)’s ongoing strategy to regain Hindu voter support after losing ground to Congress in the recent elections. The party has previously attempted to attract Muslim voters by addressing issues such as the Citizenship Amendment Act, but the results indicated a shift of Hindu voters away from CPI(M).
In recent by-elections, CPI(M) has intensified its criticism of Muslim political organizations, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan labeling IUML’s state president as linked to extremist ideologies. This reflects the party’s broader strategy to re-establish its appeal among Hindu constituents while challenging the Congress-led United Democratic Front.