Kerala fears that the Congress will give in to Jamaat-e-Islami’s demands, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary S. Suresh has said.
Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday (May 12, 2026), Mr. Suresh said the Jamaat’s nod was needed to elect the Chief Minister, be it VD Satheesan, KC Venugopal or Ramesh Chennithala. It has been nine days since the United Democratic Front (UDF) emerged victorious in the assembly elections in the state. Still, the Congress was unable to select its chief ministerial candidate. The rift in the party spilled over into the streets. This was an insult to all Malayalis, Mr. Suresh said, adding that the BJP had warned that a change of guard from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to the UDF would serve no purpose.
The state faced a number of problems. There were concerns about the availability of textbooks in the new academic year. The maintenance of the school failed and PM SHRI’s money seemed a lost cause. Communicable diseases related to the rain were on the rise. There were fights between the bureaucracy and officials. The ineffectiveness of the Congress led to this crisis, Mr. Suresh said.
Referring to discussions in the Congress leadership to decide on the appointment of the Chief Minister, Mr. Suresh claimed that it was a search to decide who would toe the Jamaat line. Jamaat’s agenda was that the man it decided would become the chief minister. As part of this agenda, a minister from Karnataka visited Panakkad. This would have serious consequences for Kerala, the BJP leader claimed.
Mr. Suresh said he would like to remind the Congress that he did not come to power on the basis of the votes of the Jamaat, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) or the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
The LDF was not without fault either. The Indian National League (INL) national secretary’s remarks about the INL and LDF voting in Manjeswaram and Kasaragod to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (a CPI(M) directive) to defeat BJP candidates reflected the CPI(M)’s communal agenda, Mr. Suresh alleged.
If the change of government in the state did not benefit the people, the BJP would prepare to launch people’s protests against it, Mr. Suresh said.
Published – 12 May 2026 20:48 IST
