The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) revealed its manifesto for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, emphasizing a blend of infrastructure projects and welfare initiatives to bolster its presence in the state. Scheduled for April 9, the elections aim to elect 140 new legislators. The manifesto includes plans for establishing an AIIMS in Kerala, introducing metro rail projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, and implementing a high-speed corridor from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur.
Welfare commitments in the manifesto comprise providing two free LPG cylinders annually to impoverished families, offering 20,000 liters of free drinking water per household each month, and elevating welfare pensions to Rs 3,000. Additionally, the BJP vows to restructure Devaswom Boards and launch a CBI investigation into the Sabarimala gold smuggling case. The manifesto, under the slogan “This is change, this is developed Kerala,” was unveiled by BJP President Nitin Nabin, with the presence of Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar and other party leaders.
The BJP, which secured its sole Assembly seat in 2016 from Nemom through veteran leader O. Rajagopal, faced a competitive triangular contest in 2021, resulting in V. Sivankutty of the CPI-M reclaiming the Assembly seat. Sivankutty is now striving to maintain the seat, while Chandrasekhar expressed his candidacy early on, indicating the BJP’s determination to regain lost political ground. The BJP’s recent electoral performance has been a mix of successes and challenges, with notable fluctuations in its vote share across various elections.
