Thiruvananthapuram | The Congress on Monday rolled out a statewide digital campaign in Kerala under the slogan "Kadakku Purathu" (Get Out), taking direct aim at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the ruling LDF in the run-up to the Assembly polls.
The phrase, now being used as a rallying cry, is closely associated with Vijayan himself.
It dates back to 2017, when the chief minister curtly asked journalists to leave a closed door programme here.
Over the years, the remark has come to symbolise what the Opposition describes as his authoritarian and aloof style of governance.
By reclaiming the phrase, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) is attempting to turn the chief minister's own words into a political weapon, framing the campaign as a public demand for his exit from power.
At the heart of the campaign is a newly launched interactive website, kadakkupurathu.com, where citizens can register complaints against the LDF government.
The site is promoted through QR codes featuring the chief minister's image, underlining the symbolic thrust of the message.
The Congress has also released a detailed charge sheet accusing the LDF government of widespread misgovernance.
The allegations span rising unemployment, economic distress, agrarian crisis, spread of narcotics, increasing wildlife attacks, and "steady erosion" of secular values.
Other issues highlighted include alleged corruption, unfulfilled promises by the CM, and controversies such as misappropriation of gold linked to Sabarimala and thefts from temples.
Congress leaders say the digital drive is meant to channel growing public anger and ensure wider participation, especially among youth and first-time voters.
Reacting to a question on the campaign, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the initiative was meant for the people to tell the chief minister to get out, as he was the one who used the phrase first.
"It is a good campaign, isn't it," Chennithala asked.
The campaign is being projected as the final phase of an aggressive online offensive ahead of the party-led UDF's proposed yatra, with an intensive week-long social media push planned across platforms.
While party leaders indicate that multiple campaign slogans were discussed, senior Congress functionaries believe Kadakku Purathu captures the public mood more sharply than any other phrase.
The CPI(M) has not responded to the Congress move.