Wading into the ongoing debate over the alleged nexus between sworn political enemies in Kerala, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the real deal in Kerala was an “unholy nexus” between PM Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.Addressing back-to-back rallies in the UDF heartlands of Kottayam and Pathanamthitta,Gandhi alleged that the PM had been actively protecting the Kerala CM. “Why is it that the Central agencies have developed cold feet when it comes to the CM or his family,” Gandhi asked amidst cheers from the crowd.The Congress leader said Vijayan had “surrendered” to the PM to cover up his administration’s corruption. “The LDF no longer functions as a Leftist front but has adopted a corporate character identical to that of the BJP. They are two sides of the same coin, and Modi wants this government to continue because it serves his goal of preventing the Congress from reaching anywhere near power in Delhi,” he added.In a move to woo the influential Christian heartland and the struggling farming community, Gandhi announced that if the UDF was voted to power, the very first Cabinet decision would be to fix the minimum support price (MSP) for rubber at Rs 250 per kg, with a roadmap to eventually scale it up to Rs 300.“The Left has spent 10 years giving hollow promises to rubber farmers. The UDF has a track record of standing by the farmer community, and we will ensure that the misery of the rubber growers ends on day one of our governance,” said Gandhi.At Pathanamthitta, where the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple is situated, he recited the first line of the viral Malayalam parody song “Who stole the gold?” and elicited a resounding response from the audience naming the LDF government.In a shift towards identity and gender politics, he declared that his dream was to see a woman CM leading the State. “Women empowerment is not just a slogan for the Congress; it is our mission,” he declared.He also struck an emotional chord by mentioning the Kerala nurses who have been taking care of his mother Sonia Gandhi. “I see compassion in their eyes and their work. It is a quality that defines the people of Kerala, but sadly, it is a quality entirely absent in our PM.”At Puthuppally, the home ground of late CM Oommen Chandy, he recalled the massive outpouring of grief at the popular leader’s demise, and said he could see a similar wave of support for the UDF emerging in the state. “The UDF government would be humble enough to admit mistakes and compassionate enough to listen to the common man,” he said.