The BJP has taken a big and decisive step in Kerala by appointing former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar as the new State unit president. Kerala was one of the weakest States for the BJP till 2024. In the 2024 LS elections the BJP won its first Lok Sabha seat of Thrissur from the State. Rajiv Chandrashekhar is a popular face and is acceptability among the youth and every section of society. Rajiv Chandrashekhar has the potential to attract new voters in the polarised politics in Kerala between the Congress party led the United Democratic Front and the CPM led the Left United Democratic Front.
Rajiv Chandrashekhar will be successful in attracting especially the youth and entrepreneurs. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rajiv Chandrashekhar gave a tough fight to senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat but lost the election by a small margin of 16,077 votes. By handing over the command of the party in the State to dynamic Rajiv Chandrashekhar, the BJP has given the big message of the party fighting a long battle in the State. Currently the BJP’s eyeing the elections of six municipal corporations scheduled to be held this year. In the State elections are scheduled to be held for Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, Kannur and Kozhikode Municipal Corporations.
All of these are ruled by the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front but Kannur Municipal Corporation. The Congress-led UDF is ruling Kannur Municipal Corporation. The BJP is eyeing these elections. The BJP wants to perform well in these elections and make a strong base for the party in 2026 State Assembly elections. With Rajiv Chandrashekhar being made the State party president, now there is every possibility of the BJP performing well in these municipal elections.
The BJP was strong only in Karnataka among the southern States till a decade ago. But with time, the BJP has strengthened itself in other southern States. Currently, BJP is in power in Puducherry with the local party the All-India NR Congress. The BJP has demonstrated its strength by winning 8 Lok Sabha seats from Telangana in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Now the BJP’s next target is the State of Kerala. The BJP is moving ahead in Kerala with its long-term vision. The BJP is hoping to repeat its performance in Tripura, Assam, and Haryana in Kerala. Before the 2018 Assembly elections in Tripura, the BJP was able to save its deposit in just one Assembly seat of Kadamtala-Kurti. But in the 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP succeeded in forming a government with a clear majority on its own. In 2023 too, the BJP has succeeded in forming the government again with a clear majority. The BJP has also been successful in performing well in many other States including Assam and Haryana.
In Kerala, the BJP had created problems for both the Congress and the CPI(M) and their alliances United Democratic Front and Left Democratic Front with its performance in the last 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat besides the close runner on Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat. This is the first time the BJP has won a Lok Sabha seat from Kerala since its inception. This has brought new enthusiasm among the BJP workers. By making Rajiv Chandrashekhar the president, BJP has given a new direction to its workers. The BJP established a lead on 11 Assembly seats in the Lok Sabha elections and was in second place in 9 Assembly seats. The BJP was in direct contest on a total of 20 Assembly seats during the Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress party is increasingly marginalised in Kerala politics. In Kerala, after 1982, there has been a tradition of exchange of power election after election to election between the Congress Party led United Democratic Front and the CPI (M) led Left Democratic Front. But in the 2021 Assembly elections, the Congress Party led UDF could not return to power and the CPI (M) led LDF has succeeded in retaining to power continuously for the first time since 1982. Actually, there is a kind of understanding between the Gandhi family and the family of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
As per the secret understanding between these two powerful families the CPI(M) led by Vijayan will not give tough fight to the members of the Gandhi family on Wayanad LS seat while the Congress party will help P Vijayan in winning Kerala Assembly election by not contesting with its full vigour. The only objective of both Sonia Gandhi and Vijayan is to advance their families in politics. Sonia Gandhi wants to advance her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadhera in politics, while Vijayan wants to appoint his son-in-law Mohammed Riyas as his successor, who is currently a member of Vijayan’s Cabinet. Due to these reasons, after winning both Rae Bareli and Wayanad LS seats in 2024 by Rahul Gandhi he decided to resign from Wayanad LS seat as it was easier for Priyanka Gandhi to win elections from Wayanad than Rae Bareli due to the secret understanding.
Before 2014, it was believed that it was very difficult for the BJP to win elections against the communist parties. But after 2014, the BJP has developed such a knack to defeat the Communist parties. The BJP formed a clear majority government in Tripura in 2018 and 2023 by defeating the CPI(M) while in West Bengal, the BJP has completely wiped out the communist parties and has now created a big problem for Mamata Banerjee. The communist parties, which were at the peak of West Bengal politics for more than three decades, had no representation either in West Bengal Assembly or from the West Bengal to Lok Sabha.
