Nitin Nabin, the BJP’s new national president, made his inaugural visit to Kerala, impressing the state party leadership with symbolic moves that effectively launched the party’s Assembly election campaign. During his two-day visit, he visited Kalady, the birthplace of Adi Shankara, and later transitioned into campaign mode by painting the party’s lotus symbol on a polling booth wall in Ollurkkara, Thrissur district. This strategic move was seen as the official start of the BJP’s grassroots campaign in Kerala, particularly emphasizing their focus on expanding in Thrissur, a region where they made significant electoral gains in 2024 with Suresh Gopi’s victory.
Nabin’s visit was not just symbolic but also involved crucial organizational engagements. He conducted a closed-door meeting with the BJP state core committee in Kochi, stressing the need to translate the party’s increasing vote share into Assembly seats. Nabin directed the party to concentrate on 30 constituencies where they had garnered more than 30% of the vote in the previous Lok Sabha elections, highlighting the importance of appealing to swing voters who could sway the results in these areas. The BJP’s campaign strategy in Kerala will focus on issues like the Sabarimala gold theft case and the development initiatives of the Modi government, with Nabin criticizing both the LDF and UDF for allegedly undermining Sabarimala and Sanatan Dharma.
Nabin also addressed internal party matters, warning against factionalism within the Kerala unit and indicating a potential organizational revamp if the BJP does not establish itself as a significant player post-elections. With a detailed 90-day campaign plan, early candidate selection, and active groundwork, the BJP leadership believes that the Kerala campaign has now been officially launched, as symbolized by the lotus painted on the wall.
