Thiruvananthapuram, July 12 — Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a recent meeting with Kerala BJP’s newly elected office-bearers, has set ambitious targets for the party in the upcoming local body elections scheduled in the coming months. Shah urged the state unit, led by state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, to secure victories in two key corporations—Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur—and win at least 10 municipalities.
Kerala’s local governance comprises 23,612 wards across various bodies, including Grama Panchayats, Block Panchayats, District Panchayats, Municipalities, and Corporations. In the 2020 local elections, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) dominated, winning 514 out of 941 Grama Panchayats, 108 of 152 Block Panchayats, and controlling five out of six Corporations. The United Democratic Front (UDF) maintained a strong presence as well, leaving the BJP-led NDA with minimal seats.
Shah has assigned the responsibility of achieving these targets to Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Suresh Gopi, the lone BJP Lok Sabha MP from Thrissur and Union Minister of State for Tourism. However, political analysts express skepticism about the feasibility of these goals. One analyst noted that while Shah’s vision is bold, it might be unrealistic considering the BJP’s current foothold in Kerala, recalling the party’s poor performance in the 2021 Assembly elections where it failed to retain its only seat.
Meanwhile, internal party tensions have surfaced following the recent state committee overhaul. Two leaders reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over their exclusion from the decision-making body. The BJP in Kerala remains divided between factions led by former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan and others headed by P.K. Krishnadas, with signs that Muraleedharan’s camp is being sidelined.
As the party prepares for the polls, the real challenge lies in uniting its leadership and translating Shah’s ambitions into electoral success.
