Amit Shah targets LDF, UDF; says BJP will form govt in Kerala in 2026

Thiruvananthapuram, July 12 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a blistering attack on both the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF in Kerala, declaring that the BJP would form the government in the state after the 2026 Assembly elections.

In a 35-minute address to a massive 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 raise 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, who arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday night, inaugurated the BJP’s new state committee office before addressing the public rally, where over 25,000 party workers gathered and around one lakh joined virtually. He described the new party office as “a temple” and a symbol of the BJP's growth in Kerala.

“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 outlined the BJP’s three-pronged development model inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- a corruption-free government, inclusive implementation of welfare schemes, and development beyond vote-bank politics. “These principles will guide our push for Viksit Kerala,” he said.

Drawing a contrast between the CPI(M) and the BJP, Shah said, “Both are cadre-based parties, but the CPI(M) focuses on personal gain while the BJP stands for progress.”

Attacking the state government on law and order, Shah said, “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.”

He also rejected the notion that the BJP is limited to North India. “We now rule in Odisha, Assam, the Northeast, and are the largest party in Telangana. We will form governments in Tamil Nadu and other southern states as well,” he claimed. “They laughed when we said we’d form the government in Odisha. Now, we are ruling there.”

Shah accused both LDF and UDF of fostering corruption. “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 said.

He also alleged that corruption was rampant during UDF rule as well, and claimed the Congress was 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 highlighted several central initiatives and investments in Kerala under the Modi government, including the Vizhinjam Port, the Rs 1,800 crore dry dock project at Kochi, and the Rs 65,000 crore National Highway development plan. Railway allocations for Kerala have risen from Rs 372 crore to Rs 3,700 crore, he said.

“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.

“Under PM Modi, India’s stature has risen globally, and he will ensure that Viksit Kerala becomes a reality,” Shah concluded.

--IANS

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