The state of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are going to polls in the coming days. The circumstances of these elections are unprecedented, and it is vital that voters recognize just what is at stake as they head to the polling booths.

On one side is a three-headed snake that has held India in its grip for the last 7 years. One head of the snake is the RSS that seeks to impose an oppressive and unjust social order upon all of India. The other head of the snake is few crony capitalists who extract massive amounts of wealth from the people of India and funds the political machine. The last head of the serpent is Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and their system of political terror. This three-headed snake has reduced Muslims, women, Scheduled Castes, Adivasi and innumerable other vulnerable populations to second-class citizens in their own land. It has sold off assets that generations of Indians have toiled to build, it has caused historic levels of unemployment, poverty, hunger and suffering. It has destroyed Constitutional institutions and reduced our once-proud democracy to the mere façade of elections. It has destroyed the political process and has reduced it to a joke. The political process is now guided by the power of unlimited money, the blatant misuse of ED, CBI, NIA and every other instrument of State.

On the other side is a long line of regional parties. They claim that they want to fight the snake but are willing to do so only where it is absolutely necessary and only when it is convenient and non-threatening for them. So, these parties will fight to keep the BJP out of their own backyard but will watch silently or even support the BJP in crushing another state whose votes they do not need.

In the middle is the Indian National Congress. Rahul Gandhi is the only national leader who has the courage to stand up openly against all three heads of the snake. He has fearlessly taken on the RSS, crony capitalists and the Modi-Shah operation on every front. With his inspiration, the Congress is the only Party that stands up to the Government every day, on every issue and in every State.

On one side is a force that is working to undo the freedom struggle and the Constitution and return Indians to slavery under the rule of a few modern-day princes. On the other are opportunistic regional forces that seek to extract what they can for themselves even as India disintegrates and sinks. In the middle is the Congress Party. The only Party that is committed to both-keeping India united and bringing freedom, equity and justice for every last Indian.

The choice should be a simple one, but we live in difficult times. The waters of politics have been muddied by a media that sells its pen to the highest bidder, an endless stream of political leaders whose only vision for politics is to possess power, institutions that no longer have the courage to stand up for what is right and the massive amounts of money that the BJP and the regional parties are spending.

Only the wisdom of the Indian people can save our democracy and with it our Nation. Please bear in mind what is at stake as you go to cast your vote. Vote for the Congress Party and our allies in the coming elections. Make your vote a message to the forces that seek to enslave and divide India – We have had enough.

Jai Jagat. Jai Hind. Jai Congress.