BJP exaggerating gains in Kerala local body elections: KC Venugopal

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Sunday said that the BJP was attempting to create a false narrative by claiming major gains in the Kerala local body elections.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Venugopal claimed that out Thiruvananthapuramof the state's total 1,199 local bodies, the BJP had increased its tally in only eight.

"Yesterday, the Prime Minister (Modi), Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, and other BJP leaders, rallying behind each other, claimed that Kerala has witnessed a major change. Yes, they have won the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, and I am not taking that lightly. But beyond that corporation, they do not have a single seat in the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat," he said.

Comparing the results with the 2020 local body elections, Venugopal said the BJP lost its majority in the Palakkad and Pandalam municipalities, though it won two new municipalities this time.

"They are trying to project a false narrative that Kerala is moving towards the BJP. This is a PR-driven effort by the Prime Minister and others to alter the mindset of the people," he said.

Venugopal said that as the party ruling at the Centre, the BJP would naturally win a few seats.

"In 2020, the BJP controlled 21 local bodies. This time, it has won 29. That means the BJP’s presence is still less than one per cent of Kerala’s local bodies," he said, adding that such "foul tactics" would not work in the state.

He reiterated that the Congress and the UDF have a clear stand of preventing the BJP from gaining a foothold in Kerala, but asserted that sharing power with parties such as the CPI(M) in the name of stopping the BJP was unthinkable.

Venugopal said the primary reason behind the UDF’s victory was the Pinarayi Vijayan government, which, he alleged, had earned widespread public resentment through its actions.

"At every step, the government showed how to alienate the public. The Pinarayi government and the chief minister are the sole reasons why the BJP could win the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat last year," he said.

He further alleged that the CPI(M) leadership’s approach created a situation in which even its cadre did not hesitate to vote for the BJP.

Venugopal also said that the chief minister’s meetings with the union ministers without the presence of officials raised public suspicion about "political undercurrents", which he claimed the people of Kerala clearly understood.

Highlighting the UDF’s performance, Venugopal said the front recorded a major surge compared to 2020, increasing its tally in gram panchayats from 321 to 505, block panchayats from 38 to 79, district panchayats from 2 to 7, municipalities from 39 to 54, and corporations from 1 to 4.

"This victory does not belong to any individual. It is the result of collective leadership and collective effort. The party has decided not to waste even a single day and to move forward with strategies and programmes for the Assembly elections," he added.