Kochi: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched a sharp attack on Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan during a campaign stop, calling him a “shadow of Narendra Modi” and accusing him of mirroring BJP tactics despite their Left ideology.
Reddy, campaigning for Congress candidates ahead of Kerala’s assembly polls, said Vijayan’s governance style and political moves now echo the BJP’s central leadership. “He claims to fight Modi but copies his every strategy—crackdowns, media control, and silencing dissent,” Reddy declared to a cheering crowd in Ernakulam.
The Telangana leader pointed to Vijayan’s handling of recent protests and opposition voices. He contrasted Congress’s promise of welfare and jobs with what he called the CPI(M)’s “arrogant rule.” Reddy also mocked Vijayan’s national ambitions. “He dreams of Delhi but first needs to win his own seat,” he quipped.
Vijayan fired back through aides, calling Reddy’s remarks “juvenile election rhetoric from a BJP ally.” CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan dismissed the jabs, saying, “Revanth Reddy confuses Kerala voters with Telangana politics.”
Congress Kerala chief K. Sudhakaran welcomed the support. “Revanth garu’s words expose Left hypocrisy. Voters see through their Modi alliances,” he told reporters.
Reddy’s Kerala foray marks a rare southern Congress push against the Left, traditionally dominant here. Political analyst Dr. Maya Nair noted, “This direct CM vs CM attack signals Congress desperation to dent CPI(M)’s fortress before BJP gains ground.”
Public reaction splits sharply. Congress workers hail Reddy’s boldness; Left supporters call it interference. “Both sides play dirty—we want jobs, not name-calling,” said local shopkeeper Rajan.
Reddy’s provocative intervention escalates Kerala’s triangular poll fight, testing Congress’s southern revival against Left’s iron grip.
