The BJP's 'Mission Kerala' for 2026 got another booster.
Close on the heels of CPI-M saying the Lotus party cannot be called a 'fascist', a powerful Christian Association & Alliance For Social Action (CASA) will set up a new political outfit that would be “purely nationalist” in its outlook.
In 2021 during election campaign, PM Narendra Modi compared Kerala's ruling communists with Judas in his speech during a rally.
"Modi not only knows how to talk as a good orator and communicator.
He has a perfect sense of timing. So, when the prime minister used a Biblical reference, he was not only targeting the chief minister or communists for the gold-smuggling scan, he was also giving a message to around 15 percent of the population," said Tushar Bhadra in Modi's parliamentary constituency in Varanasi (2021).
The organisation CASA claims to have the backing of 17 Christian denominations in Kerala, is likely to set up a new political outfit that would be “purely nationalist” in its outlook and closely align with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Our attempt is to float a right-wing national party. We have conducted studies to find the acceptability for such a political force, and we have found that there’s a space for such a party in Kerala,” said Kevin Peter, who also serves as the state president of CASA.
Kevin along with five others founded CASA in 2018.
Often referred to as Islamophobic, CASA is known for its pro-BJP stance on various issues including the Citizenship Amendment Act, ‘love jihad’, and triple talaq.
Kevin says that he’s a victim of ‘love jihad’ after his only daughter left the family in 2016 to marry a Muslim, and has since not heard from her.
CASA reckons the Kerala Congress, considered as a Christian party, has lost its relevance in the current political scenario.
“The Kerala Congress has become very feeble, and its future is bleak. There’s no scope for the party to retain its vigour,” Kevin said, indicating that this is the space that CASA’s political outfit would look to fill slowly but steadily over the years.
In the local-body polls later this year, CASA will encourage those interested in fighting the elections as independents or support candidates of parties who stand for nationalism.
“Our effort is to start the political party before the 2026 assembly election,” said Kevin. He said that earlier the Christian faithful used to be led by the church but after the last election, there has been a shift in the thinking. The broad approach would be to back BJP and its allies, said Kevin.
“Our objective will be to ensure the victory of candidates who align with our ideology or defeat those who stand against the interests of the country,” said another official, who wished not to be named.
According to the CASA website, the organisation’s motto is “ ‘My country, my beliefs,’ which means we value our beliefs as well as our land.” Kevin said CASA is establishing committees in 120 constituencies and has a total membership of about 22,000, mostly in central and north Kerala.
Sources said a concrete plan would be evolved in the run-up to the assembly election. “We are setting up constituency-wise committees so that when we form a political party. These committees will be ready to function as a political outfit within no time,” another official said.
The official said right-wing politics is on the rise across the globe, be it in Germany or the US. “To be frank, there is space for such a politics here,” the official said, adding that CASA has floated units across most European countries, Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand with Malayali Christians as members.
“CASA’s political party would accommodate Hindus and Muslims who stand for nationalism,” said the official, adding that the Christian identity would remain as CASA has emerged as a Christian organisation in the public perception within a short period of time.
CASA believes Kerala Congress has lost relevance and aims to fill the political space with its new right-wing party
CASA has established units in Europe, Canada, the US, Australia, and New Zealand with Malayali Christian members.
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The BJP in Kerala has appointed three Christian leaders as district presidents. The restructuring, which involved splitting several districts into smaller organisational units, marks the party’s continued efforts to gain traction among Kerala’s Christian voters.
The state’s Christian population would to around 19%. The community backed state-based party, Kerala Congress, and also the Congress party.
In Kerala, the CPI-M had the image of being a pro-Hindu party originally.
The three Christian appointees in the BJP were — Justin Jacob (Thrissur City), Roy Chacko (Kottayam East), and V C Varghese (Idukki South).
They hail from districts with significant Christian populations, including areas such as Poonjar, Kanjirappally, Changanassery, and Puthuppally.
In Jan 2021, India witnessed vintage politics when the Prime Minister met three cardinals.
For Modi and his pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the meeting held on Jan 19 (2021) was a sure piece of material to woo Christians in some key states where elections are due this summer.
At face value, Modi inviting and having an exclusive meeting with India's most senior Catholic leaders — Cardinal Oswald Gracias of the Latin-rite Church, Cardinal George Alencherry, major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, and Cardinal Baselios Cleemis of the Syro-Malankara Church — denoted well that Modi and the BJP (were) re-establishing strong links with Christians.
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