India, June 14 -- Fresh cracks have surfaced within the Opposition's INDIA alliance after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reportedly said he would not hug former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan owing to their ongoing political rivalry.

An audio clip from the INDIA bloc meeting held on June 8 has sparked a political controversy, with Left leaders accusing Gandhi of undermining alliance unity.

Rahul Gandhi's remark

In the audio speech, Gandhi is heard saying that while political parties in the alliance may work together at the national level, he cannot ignore the political battle between the Congress and the CPI(M) in Kerala.

The Congress and the CPI(M) remain fierce political rivals in Kerala despite being allies under the IND...