From margins to milestone: BJP's Kerala journey
Kerala’s 2026 assembly results marked the BJP’s first multi-seat presence in the state’s history, winning
Nemom,
Kazhakootam, and Chathannoor.
While its vote share remained virtually unchanged at 11.4% from 2021, the party converted concentrated support into seats, a breakthrough after losing its lone seat in 2021.
This reflects a gradual consolidation in pockets despite the state’s challenging demographics, with nearly 48% minorities and a historically entrenched Left-Congress duopoly.
Why the CM selection row matters
Following V.D. Satheesan’s swearing-in as Kerala chief minister, the BJP alleged that the Congress leadership chose him under pressure from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Jamaat-e-Islami.
Satheesan was also described as the 'first CM of Jamaat & IUML'.
These remarks form part of the BJP’s criticism of what it terms 'appeasement politics' by its rivals in the state.
The Lotus party's Kerala sojourn —blending core Hindutva issues like Sabarimala with targeted OBC outreach - suggests a dual-pronged strategy aimed at building a sustainable base.
If successful, it could gradually erode the dominance of the UDF-LDF binary, though stable vote share signals the difficulty of rapid expansion.
Looking ahead, the party’s ability to expand beyond pockets and navigate Kerala’s communal balance will determine whether it can emerge as a significant player by the next general elections.
The BJP’s newly adopted 13-point political resolution, unveiled after its three-seat win in Kerala, centres on consolidating Hindu backward community support while recalibrating minority outreach.
The party has moved away from building institutional links with Church leadership, citing growing alignment of bishops with the Congress-led UDF and fallout from the Catholic Church’s opposition to the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026.
The agenda also reiterates opposition to religion-based reservations and calls for equal opportunities for all Malayalis.
The leftist parties’ ouster from power in Kerala, the only state where they ruled by 2026, perhaps wiped out communism from Indian politics or political power structures.
The Marxist-led Left Front had lost power in their one-time stronghold West Bengal in 2011 after ruling the state for 34 years at a stretch.
In 2018, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) lost power in yet Tripura, which has a sizable number of native Christian tribal people and a substantial Bengali Hindu population.
Critics say the CPI-M has been pro-Hindu party and it had tinted the red flag of the communists with the hues of saffron, the color associated with Hindus.
Narendra Modi prays at the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira, Bangladesh, on March 27, 2021
A master of symbolism and a powerful communicator, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a March 2021 election rally made a Biblical reference.
In Kerala, the Christian votes are always decisive in certain seats.
"Judas had betrayed Lord Christ for a few pieces of silver ... just like that Left Democratic Front government has betrayed Kerala for a few pieces of gold," Modi had said.
The reference kicked off a minor debate on why the PM, who does not mind displaying his blatant support for Hindutva politics, made a Biblical reference. The reason was obvious. Many more things will follow.
For 2029 parliamentary polls and 2031 assembly elections; the BJP in Kerala will try to consolidate Hindu OBC support.
It may reduce -- institutional outreach to Christian leadership.
BJP is always opposed religion-based quotas, focusing on OBC, SC/ST, and Economically Weaker Sections EWS categories, and targets communities like the Ezhavas.
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| Blogger in Back Waters, Kerala |
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