Former Minister K B Ganesh Kumar Claims Tactical UDF-BJP Tie-Up Led to Electoral Loss

Former Kerala minister and Kerala Congress (B) leader K B Ganesh Kumar on Sunday alleged that a political understanding between the UDF and BJP contributed to his defeat in the recently held Pathanapuram Assembly constituency elections.

Kumar, who had represented Pathanapuram since 2001 , lost the seat to Congress candidate Jyothi Kumar Chamakkala . In a Facebook post, he questioned the sharp fluctuations in the BJP-led NDA’s vote share in the constituency and suggested it pointed to a possible tactical arrangement aimed against the LDF .

He noted that the BJP had secured 11,700 votes in 2016 and 12,398 votes in 2021 , while in the recent Assembly election the NDA’s tally dropped to 7,031 votes , despite reports of stronger performance in the 2025 local body elections , where it allegedly polled around 23,000 votes in the constituency.

Kumar further claimed that the NDA was “not active” during the campaign and alleged that this decline indicated a UDF–BJP understanding in Pathanapuram . He also pointed to instances where BJP-supported candidates had earlier won in local body wards but failed to secure even double-digit votes in the Assembly polls.

Extending his allegation, he said similar electoral patterns were visible in other parts of Kerala, claiming that in constituencies won by the BJP, the LDF finished second while the Congress slipped to third place .

K B Ganesh Kumar, who served as transport minister in the previous LDF government , said these trends reflected coordinated political strategies between parties at different levels.

In the recently concluded Kerala Assembly elections, the LDF won 35 seats , the UDF secured 102 seats , and Kerala Congress (B) failed to win any seat in the 140-member House.