The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is intensifying its push in Kerala, a state where the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front or the Congress-led United Democratic Front have always held office. The party is contesting to form the government and is in serious contention in close to a dozen seats.
According to VV Rajesh, the first BJP mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, the party has clocked above 35,000 votes in about 30 to 40 assembly constituencies. He points out that another 10,000 plus votes in any of these constituencies could turn the verdict in favour of the BJP in a triangular contest.
The BJP has been slowly building a pan-caste, pan-regional Hindu vote in Kerala, where Hindus consist of 54% of the population. The party has also attracted former legislators and leaders from the Left and has invested in young leaders from the Christian community.
However, the BJP's bid may be unsuccessful, according to John Samuel, who heads the public policy wing of the Congress in Kerala. The protests over a new FCRA bill points to a restive Christian leadership.
The BJP's three main strongholds provide interesting insights. Manjeshwaram in Kasargode district, Palakkad to the southeast, and Thiruvananthapuram are where the party has the organisational muscle and has made its mark in recent local bodies polls.
