Kerala polls: Rahul takes swipe at Achuthanandan

Kochi, Apr 9: Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today (Apr 9) took a swipe at veteran Marxist leader VS Achuthanandan over his age, telling the Kerala voters that if the LDF wins this Assembly polls they will have a 93-year-old chief minister by the next elections.

Gandhi, projected as the youth face of the Congress, said the UDF led by his party had a mix of youth and experience. The senior leaders have ''great depth and experience. You are going to get a government which has experience and youth.

On the other hand if LDF wins the elections, by the time next election comes around you will have a 93-year-old Chief Minister," he said referring to CPI(M) warhorse Achuthanandan now aged 87.

Gandhi, who had made several visits to Kerala in connection with Youth Congress organisational elections last year, said though the state had a highly developed political system, there was a sense of fear in it.

"There is also violence in the political system. This is what is going to change after elections," he said taking on the CPI(M) led Left front which is fighting a tough battle to retain its hold in the April 13 assembly polls and buck the trend of regime change every five years.

Gandhi said the UPA believed in looking after the aspirations of the people of the state. "We do not believe in using violence and we have a history of peace."

PTI