BJP will form government in Kerala after 2026 polls, says Amit Shah
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Thiruvananthapuram: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Kerala’s ruling and opposition fronts, declaring that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form the government in the state after the 2026 Assembly elections.
Addressing a large gathering at Putharikandam Maidan, Shah said, “The time has come to end the dominance of LDF and UDF in Kerala. I thank the people of the state, as our vote share has risen from 11 per cent to 20 per cent. This is the foundation for a BJP-led government in 2026.”
He announced that the BJP would contest all 21,000 seats in the upcoming local body elections, urging voters to further increase the party’s vote share to 25 per cent. “We are no longer an emerging force. We now have a presence in all 21,000 wards across the state,” he said.
Shah arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday night and inaugurated the BJP’s new state committee office before addressing the rally, which drew over 25,000 party workers and around one lakh virtual attendees. He described the new office as “a temple” and a symbol of the party’s growth in the state.
“Workers are our strength, and without them, there is no BJP. We are committed not just to winning seats but to realising the vision of a developed Kerala. ‘Viksit Bharat’ will begin from Kerala, and we will lay the foundation for it,” he said.
Shah highlighted the BJP’s three-pillar development strategy inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi: a corruption-free government, inclusive welfare schemes, and growth beyond vote-bank politics. “These principles will guide our push for Viksit Kerala,” he said.
Drawing a distinction between the CPI(M) and the BJP, Shah remarked, “Both are cadre-based parties, but the CPI(M) focuses on personal gain while the BJP stands for progress.”
He attacked the state government over law and order issues, stating, “Kerala is a hub of communalism. While Prime Minister Modi banned the Popular Front of India (PFI), the state government has allowed it to remain active. If you want change, end the rule of both UDF and LDF.”
Countering the perception that the BJP is confined to North India, Shah said, “We now rule in Odisha, Assam, and the Northeast and are the largest party in Telangana. We will form governments in Tamil Nadu and other southern states as well. They laughed when we said we’d form the government in Odisha. Now, we are ruling there.”
He accused both LDF and UDF of corruption, saying, “Under the LDF, there have been scams involving AI cameras, Life Mission, cooperative banks, gold smuggling, K-Phone, and Exalogic, the now-defunct IT firm linked to the CM’s daughter. Even though CM Vijayan is abroad, the gold smuggling case continues to haunt the government.”
He claimed corruption plagued the previous UDF government as well, describing the Congress as a party “on the verge of being wound up”.
“In contrast, not a single corruption charge has surfaced against the Modi government,” Shah asserted. “For a developed Kerala, the BJP must be in power.”
He pointed to major central investments in Kerala under the Modi government, including the Vizhinjam Port, a Rs 1,800 crore dry dock project at Kochi, and the Rs 65,000 crore National Highway development plan. He also stated that railway allocations for Kerala had grown from Rs 372 crore to Rs 3,700 crore.
“PM Modi has provided homes, electricity, water, free rations, Rs 5 lakh health insurance, and much more. India has jumped from 11th to 4th place globally. Naxalism will be eradicated by 2026, and PM Modi has responded decisively to terrorism through Operation Sindhoor,” he said.
(inputs from IANS)
