NEW DELHI: CPI's Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar wrote to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday, alleging a "cash-for-ticket" scandal involving senior Congress functionaries and seeking transparency over funds collected by the party for landslide relief in Kerala.
In his letter, Kumar accused Gandhi of running a "malicious campaign" against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala and said the Congress should introspect on allegations within its own ranks.
"The Left, across the country, is recognised for its integrity and principled public life, and it would be far more appropriate for the Congress to introspect within its own ranks before casting aspersions on others," he said.
Referring to an FIR lodged at Delhi's North Avenue police station, the Communist Party of India (CPI) leader claimed that individuals "at the highest levels of the Congress leadership" have been accused of collecting money in exchange for Assembly poll tickets.
He named Congress leaders, including K C Venugopal and K Suresh, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's personal assistant Sahab Ahmad Khan and Venugopal's PA Anas Ali, in connection with the alleged scam.
"These are not peripheral figures but individuals widely understood to function within the inner circles of the Congress leadership and perceived to be personally close to you," he said.
Kumar said similar allegations had surfaced from Congress workers in states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Assam, suggesting a "systemic malaise" rather than an isolated case.
The CPI leader also raised concerns over the collection and utilisation of funds following the Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslides in Kerala's Wayanad, alleging a lack of transparency regarding the total amount collected and its distribution.
He urged Gandhi to make "complete and verifiable details" public, given his past representation of Wayanad in the Lok Sabha and the constituency's current representation in the Lower House of Parliament by Priyanka Gandhi.
"You must either take decisive action against those named in the FIR and ensure full transparency and accountability in the utilisation of funds collected for landslide victims, or abandon the claim of standing against corruption," he said.
"The credibility of your politics will ultimately be judged not by rhetoric, but by your willingness to confront corruption and ensure transparency within your own ranks," he added.