Ganesh Kumar Alleges UDF-BJP Deal in Pathanapuram Election

K.B. Ganesh Kumar, outgoing Transport Minister and LDF candidate, has launched a scathing attack on the UDF and BJP, alleging a secret deal between the two parties led to his electoral defeat in Pathanapuram. He lost his long-held seat to Congress’ Jyothikumar Chamakkala.

Ganesh Kumar pointed to a significant drop in the BJP’s vote share as primary evidence of cross-voting intended to consolidate the anti-LDF front, noting that the BJP candidate secured 11,700 votes in 2016 and 12,398 in 2021, but only 7,031 votes in the current Assembly election.

The actor-turned-politician backed his claims with a comparative analysis of previous election cycles, including the 2025 local body elections where the BJP-led front garnered nearly 23,000 votes across the constituency.

The BJP has won three other seats across the State, but their tally in Pathanapuram plummeted, leading Ganesh to argue that the decision to field a candidate from the Twenty20 party was a tactical move to mask the diversion of NDA votes to the UDF.

The court or election commission is expected to review the allegations, and an official response is awaited. The LDF and other parties are likely to respond to the allegations in the coming days.