LDF-UDF match-fixing has stalled Kerala’s immense potential: Amit Shah

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Kerala’s ruling LDF and opposition UDF, accusing both alliances of “match-fixing” that has stalled the state’s progress, while expressing confidence that the BJP will soon form its first government in Kerala.

Addressing the newly elected BJP representatives of local bodies, Shah said the party’s support base in the state has grown steadily over the past decade and predicted a breakthrough in the 2026 Assembly elections.

"The people of Kerala are giving their support to the BJP, and our support is growing... In 2014, we received 11% of the vote; in 2019, 16%; and in 2024, 20%... Now, the journey from 20% to 30% and 40% won't be that long, and we will prove this in 2026... We have already achieved this across the country, but now it's Kerala's turn... This time, a BJP Chief Minister will definitely be elected in Kerala..."

Highlighting the party’s expanding footprint at the grassroots level, he credited BJP workers for recent electoral gains in local bodies.

"This change in Kerala is not limited to the cities alone... We have won 30 Gram Panchayats, two municipalities, and our mayor is currently serving Thiruvananthapuram... This journey of victory has been made possible only because of the sacrifices of our hundreds of party workers who have given their all... Today, with great humility, on behalf of the BJP, I want to dedicate our victory to the hundreds of party workers who have served time in jail and to their families..."

Shah alleged that Kerala’s political stagnation is the result of a tacit understanding between the LDF and UDF, arguing that neither alliance can deliver development or stability.

"The match-fixing between the LDF and UDF has stalled this state with its immense potential, and our Kerala is experiencing a strange kind of stagnation... But I have come to this workers' conference to appeal to the people of Kerala: the path to Kerala's future, whether it be development, security, or the protection of our beliefs, cannot be achieved through the LDF or the UDF..."

He further claimed that ideological shifts across the world and India have left space for the BJP-led NDA to emerge as Kerala’s alternative.

"Communist parties have disappeared all over the world, and the Congress party is fading away throughout our country. Now, the path to Kerala's development lies only with Narendra Modi's NDA... What is needed is to approach the people of Kerala with humility and a clear vision..."

Earlier in the day, Shah offered prayers at the famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. He arrived at the shrine accompanied by BJP state leaders and was received by temple authorities. The Home Minister was draped in a traditional kasavu shawl during the visit.

His temple visit comes ahead of the Lakshadeepam ritual scheduled for January 14, a rare and auspicious ceremony held at the centuries-old shrine once every six years.