Mani Shankar Aiyar praises Pinarayi Vijayan, MK Stalin, slams KC Venugopal

Former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has sparked a major political controversy within the Congress party following his recent visit to Kerala. During his visit, Aiyar openly praised Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, predicting he would return as the next Chief Minister, and hailed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin as the best person to consolidate the INDIA bloc. Aiyar launched a scathing attack on AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, asking, 'Can you imagine what is the condition of a party which raises a rowdy like K.C. Venugopal to the level of the Sardar Patel to Rahul Gandhi?' He further urged Pinarayi Vijayan to 'pick up the baton that the Congress has dropped' regarding Panchayati Raj reforms. The Congress party has swiftly distanced itself from these remarks, with leaders like Pawan Khera and KC Venugopal stating that Aiyar's comments are personal and that he has had no connection with the party for years. Aiyar, however, maintains he remains a Congressman but identifies as a 'Nehruvian' rather than a 'Rahulian'.