Thiruvananthapuram, February 15 Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said on Sunday that Pinarayi Vijayan would continue as the chief minister of Kerala, drawing sharp criticism from the party leadership.
Aiyar's remarks came as the Congress seeks to return to power in the southern state, with the Assembly polls due in the coming months.
Speaking at an international seminar titled "Vision 2031: Development and Democracy", which was inaugurated by Vijayan, Aiyar said necessary amendments should be introduced to legally secure Kerala's top position in the panchayati raj system and offered suggestions for it.
Aiyar, who served as the Union minister for panchayati raj during the Congress-led UPA government, recalled Mahatma Gandhi's vision of India. He said the father of the nation had envisaged a country where even the poorest would feel ownership and believe that they have an effective voice in nation-building.
He added that it may appear ironic that the state that has made the most commendable progress towards that goal is Kerala, which is ruled by a "Marxist-Leninist party".
"I do not know whether this is a compliment or an insult, but I deeply regret the absence of my party colleagues on this occasion, which is a state occasion and therefore, a national occasion," the Congress leader said.
He said without a doubt, Kerala tops the chart when it comes to panchayati raj and has fulfilled former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's expectations in this regard more than any other state.
"But while Kerala is the first state in panchayati raj in practice, it ranks only second in law," he noted.
Aiyar said Karnataka has exemplary contemporary legislation based on the recommendations of the Ramesh Kumar Committee, to which he had suggested 38 amendments and all of those were accepted.
"So in the presence of the chief minister, who I am confident will continue in office, I renew my plea -- to reinforce Kerala as the best panchayati raj state in the country, state laws should be amended based on practical experience, Thomas Isaac's insights, the five-volume report I chaired and the note on district planning by V K Ramachandran, circulated by the Planning Commission when it truly supported panchayati raj," he said.
Aiyar added that there is no champion for panchayati raj left in the country.
"Therefore, I must fall at your feet, Chief Minister Vijayan, and request you to pick up the baton that the Congress has dropped. Thank you and may Kerala prosper," he said.
Vijayan described Aiyar's remarks as "charismatic words" that resonate with the current context.
In a social media post about the Vision 2031 International Conference, he said Aiyar's observations reflected the contemporary scenario and reaffirmed his government's commitment to strengthening grassroots democracy.
"We stand united in the belief that democracy flourishes only when power resides with the people. We will continue to strengthen our local bodies as the heartbeat of growth," the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said.
Meanwhile, Aiyar's remarks did not go down well with the Congress leadership.
National spokesperson of the Congress Pawan Khera sought to distance the party from Aiyar's comments, saying the latter has had no connection whatsoever with the Congress for the last few years.
In a post on X, Khera said Aiyar "speaks and writes purely in his personal capacity".
Echoing that position, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the United Democratic Front (UDF) is set to return to power in Kerala.
"Let there be no doubt. The people of Kerala will bring the UDF back for more responsible and responsive governance. They also know the LDF and BJP are covert partners," he said.
