a) The relatively short tang found on keris corresponds to the short tang one sees on dagger-axes and which is essential to the way in which dagger-axes are mounted are attached to the haft.
b) The blumbangan corresponds to the holes which were used for attaching dagger-axe blades to the haft. Once the ancestral blade shape started being used as a dagger rather than a polearm, these holes no longer served any purpose. However, retaining at least one hollow at the base of the blade provided both a connection to the revered ancestral form as well as a secure anchor point for the thumb when holding blade in a pinch grip.
c) The blades on dagger-axes tend to cant to one side because they are used with an arcing downward pecking motion. While the offset tip on the keris might help with thrusting, it is arguably not necessary for a stabbing weapon.
d) Likewise, the base of the blade is asymmetric on dagger-axes in order to deal with the stress from the arcing strike. This gives the blade a distinctive flaring profile.
e) Moreover in order in order to reinforce the blade mounting, the very base of the blade has been thickened and asymmetrically lengthened. It does not take much imagination to picture this reinforced section becoming an independent section, which would greatly resemble the ganja. At the same time, picturing the ganja as being derived from a hand guard would require one to explain both why it is made from the same material as the blade and is attached as if it forms an intrinsic extension of the blade.
f) Indonesian cultures have an established practice of dismounting pole arm heads to use them as daggers.
I've attached a picture of a Zhou era Chinese ge (戈) dagger-axe and the Knaud keris for comparison.
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