BJP will emerge as credible third alternative in Kerala: Joshi

Bengaluru: The BJP will emerge as a credible third alternative in Kerala politics dominated by two alliances — LDF and UDF — and will improve its tally in the assembly polls, said Union minister and the saffron party’s elections in-charge for the state, Pralhad Joshi said, on Monday.

Taking potshots at both CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-led UDF, he said both alliances are “tough competitors in corruption” and have done nothing for the economic prosperity of the state.

“The economy of Kerala still depends largely on offshore remittances, and both alliances, LDF and UDF, have done nothing for the state besides giving tough competition to each other in corruption and scams,” Joshi told PTI.

Dubbing Rahul Gandhi a “non-serious politician”, he said, “The Congress is sinking and he is busy in political gimmicks.”

“The people have realised that Rahul is non-serious part-time politician as a MP from the costal state of Kerala. He even doesn’t know that there is an Union Ministry of Fisheries,” Joshi said.

Asserting that the BJP will make its presence felt strongly in the upcoming assembly elections, he said, “Kerala always had a significant vote base which is ideologically inclined towards the BJP, but was not confident of its victory earlier.”

But now, he said, this vote will shift towards the BJP and it will emerge as new alternative in the LDF-UDF dominated political landscape of the state.

“The BJP will emerge as credible third alternative in Kerala. And this election won”t be bipolar, it will be a three-way fight at many assembly seats in the state. The BJP will not only improve its tally but its vote percentage will also go up,” he said.

The elections for 150-member assembly of Kerala will be held on April 6. The three political fronts are LDF-led by CPI(M), UDF-led by Congress and NDA-led by BJP.