Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 12 (IANS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the CPI-M and the Congress, which are fighting against each other in Kerala, had united in Tripura against the BJP but it went on to win the polls in the northeastern state.

Addressing a party office bearers meeting and then a public meeting in Kerala's Thrissur, he said that the Narendra Modi government had provided Rs 1,15,000 crore to Kerala in the past five years as against the UPA government's Rs 45,900 crore.

Listing out other benefits to the state, he said that it had provided Rs 8,500 crore for the rural employment scheme in Kerala - an amount no other state got, as well as Rs 317 crore for the development of Guruvayur temple.

Amit Shah said that the Centre had given permission for a 50 MW solar power project in Kasargod district, while an amount of Rs 1,950 crore was sanctioned for for the second phase of development of Kochi Metro.

He lashed out at the state government for not dousing the fire at the Brahampuram waste plant even after 11 days, despite the emission of poisonous gases that were making life miserable to the people of the region.

He also said that it was the Union Government that made Kerala secure by banning the Islamist outfit Popular Front of India but added that both Communists and Congress leaders would not agree to this.

The Congress and the Communists cannot do anything for the development of Kerala, he alleged.

He also said the Thrissur public programme is a preparatory programme for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and called upon the people of the state to ensure victory for BJP candidates from the state. He said that if Narendra Modi comes back to power in the country in the 2024 elections, Kerala and India will be taken forward.

BJP state General Secretary George Kurien translated the speech of Amit Shah from Hindi to Malayalam.