A LEADER of Labour’s British-Indians has lashed out at Jeremy Corbyn for alienating the key voters - as Theresa May today appeals to them to switch to her.

In a withering indictment, political strategist Manoj Ladwa attacked the Labour leader for turning the party against aspiration.

3 Manoj Ladwa said the Indian community were turning away from Jeremy Corbyn Credit: Twitter

Mr Ladwa, who used to head up supporters group Indians for Labour, said: “Corbyn is out of sync with British Indians”.

Election chiefs on all sides believe the South Asian vote could be crucial to the general election’s outcome.

A high proportion of Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi heritage voters live in key battleground seats across the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West.

3 Mr Ladwa used to work for India's PM Narendra Modi Credit: AP:Associated Press

3 Jeremy Corbyn is driving Indian voters away, one former leader of Indians for Labour claimed

Tory leader Mrs May will make a direct appeal to them today to insist it’s the Tories who are now the natural home for their hard working ethic.

Respected Mr Ladwa – who was once communications chief for India’s PM Narendra Modi – told The Sun: “By and large the Indian community has been supportive of Labour for decades, but it has now shifted away."

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“Mr Corbyn is no longer fighting for their aspirations because his politics of the hard left doesn’t speak to them.

“Labour must be seen to support aspiration and businesses”.

Mr Ladwa added: “There are no ifs or buts, and no sugar coating the schism that now exists between Labour’s traditional voters and policies that Corbyn champions”.

There are 1.5 million Indian heritage Brits, making up 2.3% of the total UK population.

In 2010, Labour had 68% of the ethnic minority vote, compared with the Conservatives’ 16%.

But in 2015, nearly half of Hindus and Sikhs said they voted Conservative, with party chiefs hoping they can shift even more over at the election next Thursday.