‘Fixed match’ between LDF, UDF will end soon in Kerala: PM Modi after BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram win

Bengaluru: The match-fixing between the Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala will end soon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, while predicting a bright future for the BJP ahead of the assembly polls due in summer.

In a letter to VV Rajesh and GS Asha Nath, who were elected mayor and deputy mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, Modi heaped praise on BJP workers in the southern state for their work that led to the party's "historic performance" in the local body polls in Kerala's capital.

Modi's letter, written on the letterhead of Varanasi MP, has gone viral.


"The success of our party in the capital of Kerala signals that the people of the state, especially the youngsters and women, are ready for a new dawn," Modi wrote. "The BJP-NDA is emerging as the people's option, rooted in nationalism without exclusion, development without corruption and governance without appeasement. The fixed match of the LDF and UDF of being friends in Delhi and 'rivals' in Kerala is about to end soon. Kerala wants to break free from their broken promises."

The BJP made history in Kerala the day Rajesh and Asha Nath took oath as mayor and deputy mayor, Modi said, adding that the feat brought immense happiness and pride. He called the achievement epoch-making. "It is a milestone written in golden letters."

"For decades, BJP workers in Kerala have walked a path that is difficult. The state's politics has been dominated by the LDF and UDF, whose poor governance record is for everyone to see. In addition, these fronts have perpetuated a culture of corruption and brutal violence that is against the ethos of Kerala," the letter read. "Yet, despite adversity, hostility and brutal violence, our karyakartas have stood firm. They raised people's issues fearlessly, carried the party flag and the ideology of India First courageously. They spoke for the people's aspirations even when speaking came at a cost. Many of them are not in our midst today, but I am sure their blessings are with you," Modi wrote.

Thiruvananthapuram has a pride of place in the minds of every Malayali. The city has nurtured thought leaders, social reformers, artists, musicians, poets, cultural giants, saints and seers, Modi said. "Our vision to build a Vikasita Thiruvananthapuram has resonated with people across the city, from all sections of society. People have seen the work of our govt at the Centre and our efforts towards urban development in different states, which is why they decided to bless us. I thank the people of this city for the warmth."