From just seven states in 2014 to 17 states in 2022, the BJP footprint has grown beyond traditional strongholds to conquer new forts like the Northeast. But the Wall of Vindhyas has been a tough one to crack so far. In this special series on BJP’s Peninsular Pitch, News18 takes a look at the saffron party’s renewed push for electoral success in southern India.
In Part 5 of the series, we assess the BJP’s tactics to establish itself as a serious electoral contender in Kerala where tangible success still eludes it due to unique demographic challenges.
It was a humid yet breezy evening at Kerala’s beautiful Shankhumukham beach in Thiruvananthapuram, the place where Narendra Modi had arrived to kick-start his 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign. Just as the beautiful red Kerala sun began to disappear into the Arabian Sea waves, Modi stood up amidst cheers and thunderous clapping to address the well-attended venue. He then announced that in the next few years, the Bharatiya Janata Party would be the “Third Front” — one that would defeat the state’s dominant political blocs UDF and LDF.
Eight years later, the BJP still finds itself a straggler in Kerala’s electoral race, despite the fact that the state has a majority (56 per cent) Hindu population. Amongst all the southern states, Kerala is seen as one of the most challenging ones for the national party, say senior BJP leaders to News18.
Two parliamentary and assembly elections later, the BJP in Kerala suffers due to three major major reasons — lack of a strong mass leader, a weak voter base and probable support with winnability due to demographic challenges with minorities and majority communities split between the UDF and LDF — explain state leaders of the party.
There is a need for a strong, mass leader, a face that people can connect with
The BJP believes that in order to be a strong contender during the elections, the party should at least command 35 per cent of the vote share. Presently it swings between 16 and 20 per cent.
“There is a need for a strong, mass leader, a face that people can connect with, just like in states such as Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, etc, where we are ruling,” said a party leader.
The BJP’s “double-engine sarkar” concept has also found interest among voters in the coastal state. The party is viewed as an alternative which has focused on better sanitation, drinking water, skill development, rural employment, and new and innovative forms of governance. The stand taken by the party during the Sabarimala issue too gave it a slight boost, leaders believe.
Senior Kerala BJP leaders accept the fact that though they have been gaining ground electorally in the local body units, they are unable to break the hold of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) or the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Last year, while addressing the core committee of the BJP in the state, PM Modi stated that he wanted the party to win at least 71 seats in the 140-member assembly — seventy more than its present strength.
We have a strong cadre base, but our vote bank is weak. The challenges we face are quite unique in Kerala
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