Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi Refuses to Hug Rival Politician, Deepening Rifts Within Alliance

The opposition alliance has been plagued by infighting. There have been rifts between the Congress and the Left parties. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has faced criticism from his colleagues after he refused to hug former Kerala chief minister and CPM strongman Pinarayi Vijayan at an event last week. In an audio speech from the June 8 meeting of the Indie alliance, Rahul Gandhi was heard saying that he would not hug Vijayan because of his political battle with him. He was heard saying, "We have our battles but if you are asking me to hug a former Kerala chief minister because of my political battle with him, I cannot and will not do so." The CPM and Congress are bitter rivals in Kerala. The Congress recently ousted Vijayan after two consecutive terms in power. Though the two allies are at loggerheads at the national level, Gandhi's remarks raised the question of a formal greeting or handshake between Vijayan and the opposition.