'Charismatic Words': Kerala CM To Mani Shankar Aiyar After Congress Leader Hails Vijayan

Last Updated:February 15, 2026, 23:20 IST

Mani Shankar Aiyar said that the only state in India where progress has been made in “Gandhiji’s direction” is CPI(M)-ruled Kerala.

Kerala Chief Minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday described senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks as “charismatic," after the latter expressed confidence that Vijayan would continue in office after the upcoming Assembly elections.

In a post on X, Vijayan said that his party stands united in the belief that democracy only flourishes when power resides with the people.

“The charismatic words of Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar during the #Vision2031 International Conference resonate well with the contemporary scenario. We stand united in the belief that democracy only flourishes when power resides with the people. We will continue to strengthen our local bodies as the heartbeat of growth," he said.

His response came after former Union Minister praised Kerala’s decentralised governance model and asserted that Vijayan would remain Chief Minister after the polls due later this year.

While speaking at the Kerala government’s ‘Vision 2031 International Conference on Development and Democracy’ in Thiruvananthapuram, Aiyar who had served as Union Cabinet Minister for Panchayat Raj during the Congress-led UPA government, recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of India. He said the father of the nation envisaged a country where even the poorest would feel ownership and believe they had an effective voice in nation-building.

He said that the only state in India where progress has been made in “Gandhiji’s direction" is CPI(M)-ruled Kerala.

“I don’t 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," he said as quoted by news agency PTI.

His remarks came as the Congress, the main Opposition party in Kerala, seeks to return to power, with Assembly elections scheduled in the coming months.

Aiyar said Kerala is, without doubt, India’s leader in Panchayati Raj and has fulfilled the expectations of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi 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.

He said Karnataka has exemplary contemporary legislation based on the Ramesh Kumar Committee, to which he had suggested 38 amendments—all of which were accepted.

“So, in the presence of the CM, 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 law 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 concluded.

His remarks have sparked political discussion as the Congress is hoping to regain power after two consecutive terms of CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front rule. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala had earlier urged invitees to reconsider attending the conference, terming it a pre-election promotional exercise.

(With inputs from agencies)

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