CPI(M) accuses Kerala UDF government of surrendering executive authority to Governor

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Kerala State secretariat on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) accused the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government of willingly handing over the reins of administration to Raj Bhavan, the official residence of Governor Rajendra Arlekar. The party alleged that the state government has not raised any objection to the Governor summoning the State Police Chief, bypassing the constitutional authority of the elected executive.

In a statement, CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan said it was "startling and politically revelatory" that the UDF had not protested against the Governor's actions, which, he claimed, violated the constitutional framework that binds the Governor to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. He contrasted this with the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, which he said had repeatedly objected in writing to what it called "trespasses" by Lok Bhavan, the Governor's office, and had instructed department heads not to respond to any summons without the consent of the political executive.

Mr. Govindan said the UDF's "surrender of executive power" to the Governor reflected a deeper political malaise at the national level of the Congress party. He alleged that the Congress leadership was drifting toward a "soft version of Hindutva" and mimicking the political agenda of the Sangh Parivar, a family of Hindu nationalist organisations, of which the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is the parent body.

He cited the rendering of the full version of Vande Mataram at the Congress party's national headquarters in New Delhi on Independence Day, as well as in Congress-ruled states such as Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh, as evidence of this shift. Mr. Govindan noted that in 1937, the Congress had decided, under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, to render only the first two stanzas of the song, which are considered inclusive and secular, and to avoid the remaining verses that contain references to Hindu gods and portray India as a Hindu nation.

The CPI(M) leader also alleged that the UDF government had not condemned the appointment of temporary Vice-Chancellors to state-funded universities by Governor Arlekar, who serves as the Chancellor of Universities. He claimed this was an attempt to inject a Sangh Parivar narrative into Kerala's progressive and secular higher education system.

Furthermore, Mr. Govindan accused the UDF government of colluding with the "pro-RSS Chancellor" to arrest and jail students, including those who staged theatrical protests, on what he described as trumped-up charges of waylaying Vice-Chancellors and rioting.

The CPI(M)'s allegations come amid an ongoing tussle between the state government and the Governor's office over the extent of the Governor's discretionary powers. Under Article 163 of the Constitution, the Governor is required to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, except in matters where he has discretionary authority. However, the interpretation of this provision has been a recurring point of friction in several states.

This report is based on the official statement issued by the CPI(M) Kerala State secretariat. The UDF government has not yet responded to these allegations.