Congress' Poll Strategy - Use Pinarayi Vijayan's "Get Out" Remark Against Him

The Congress party has decided to turn Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's controversial "Kadakku Purathu" (Get Out) remark into a sharp election slogan against the ruling Left in the lead-up to the 2026 Kerala Assembly polls, according to sources.

The idea to repurpose the slogan was proposed at 'LAKSHYA 2026' -a recent United Democratic Front (UDF) leadership meeting in Wayanad. The proposal to rebrand the Chief Minister's viral comment as a public demand to oust the current regime received a positive response from party leadership, sources said.

The phrase dates back to a 2017 peace meeting in Thiruvananthapuram involving leaders from the CPI(M), BJP, and RSS. An irritated Pinarayi Vijayan had told journalists to "get out," saying "Kadakku purathu" before entering the hall. The moment was captured on video and subsequently went viral across television and social media.

At the time, the remark was heavily criticised by the opposition as a display of arrogance toward the media. The Congress now intends to weaponise that same sentiment as a broader political message for the 2026 campaign.

Party insiders say the strategy is aimed at tapping into anti-incumbency and positioning the contest as a direct fight between the UDF and the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The phrase is being crafted to resonate both online and on the ground as a punchy, easily shareable message for social media and local-level mobilisation.

During the Wayanad meeting, leaders estimated that the UDF currently holds a strong lead in 85 seats. The front now plans to intensify its efforts to reach the "century" mark (100 seats) in the 140-member assembly.

The pan-Kerala tour of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) V.D. Satheesan is expected to coincide with the official announcement of candidates. Sources suggest that each candidate may be announced individually as the yatra reaches their respective constituency.

As part of this early-mobilisation strategy, it is understood that Rahul Gandhi will address over 7,000 UDF ward councillors who emerged victorious in the recent local body polls, further strengthening the party's grassroots connection ahead of the assembly elections.