Congress’ latest bid to put both the BJP and CPM in the same boat turned out to be a massive disaster. While addressing a rally in Idukki, Kerala, on April 5, 2026, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge made comments comparing the people of Gujarat and Kerala, which led to controversy, with the saffron party claiming that his remarks were “insulting.” 

With the Kerala Assembly Election 2026 approaching, the three major alliances in the state — the LDF, UDF, and NDA have been gearing up for their political campaigns. From accusing each other of collusion and backdoor deals to calling one another illiterate, the 16th Legislative Assembly election is set to take place on April 9, 2026.

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Kharge targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, telling them not to misguide the people of Kerala. He said, “Don’t misguide the people of Kerala. They are very clever and educated.” His controversial remarks were not well received by the people of Gujarat or the saffron party. Kharge continued, “Modi ji, Vijayan, you both can fool those who are illiterate in Gujarat or other places, but you can’t fool the people of Kerala.”

The Congress-led UDF has reiterated multiple times that there is an alleged CPM-BJP deal hidden under the table. With accusations mounting, CM Vijayan has dismissed them as baseless and nothing more than a political strategy. However, Kharge’s recent comparison did not sit well with the people of Gujarat. As per the 2026 census report, the BJP-ruled state has a literacy rate of 78.03%, based on the latest population census. Male literacy stands at 85.75% in comparison to the female literacy rate, which is 69.98%.

Kharge’s sharp remarks prompted several Gujaratis to demand an apology for the controversial comments. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi took to X to clap back at Kharge over his recent remarks calling Gujaratis illiterate on April 5, 2026. He asked, “Why does Congress hate Gujarat, a state of 6 crore people, so much?” He claimed that targeting the state was Congress taking revenge for its expulsion from the state. Gujarat has been governed by leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party since 1998.

He wrote on X, “Kharge ji, the land of Gujarat that gave the country Mahatma Gandhi; the Gujarat that gave the country the Iron Man, Sardar Patel; the Gujarat that gave the country’s most popular PM, @narendramodi ji; the Gujarat that showed a new model of development to the entire world — is this an insult to its 6 crore Gujaratis?”

Calling out Kharge, Sanghvi stated that the Congress has always been rejected by “Gujarat’s aware public.” He added, “And it will continue to reject it in the future. Gujarat will not forgive.”

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Kerala Assembly Election 2026: Kharge Attacks the LDF Government

The Congress president took a dig at PM Modi and Vijayan by calling out their “style of functioning” as similar. He accused both leaders of wanting to centralise power in their hands and being hell-bent on keeping the Congress away from power.

With polling in the state just days away, Kharge questioned the people of Kerala about the level of development achieved during the two terms ruled by the CPM-led LDF. He further stated, “Promises have been made, but what has been delivered to the people is what matters.”

The results of the Kerala Assembly Election 2026 will be announced on May 4, 2026, which will answer the vital question of whether the LDF will contend for a third term or whether the political pattern in Kerala will shift.

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