Thiruvananthapuram, April 7 – As Kerala’s high-octane election campaign drew to a close on Tuesday, State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar made a sharp statement on social media, blending cultural references with political messaging.
“In Kerala, the end of the campaign is marked by organizing a #KotiKalasham on the last evening. Today was that day,” he wrote.
He added a pointed ideological remark: “There are many differences between BJP Kerala and CPIM Kerala. But here’s another: our flags celebrate the great Indian hero, Shivaji, while Marxists have to borrow a foreigner (Che) as their icon.”
The post, coming at the precise moment the campaign ended, reflected the BJP’s attempt to emphasize ideological differences even as it seeks electoral relevance in a state long dominated by two rival fronts.
Even as the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the ruling CPI(M)-led Left engage in a high-stakes contest, each claiming to have the momentum, the BJP is striving not merely to regain its seat in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, but to secure multiple seats and position itself as a credible third force challenging the state’s entrenched bipolar politics.
Nemom, once the BJP’s only stronghold in Kerala, has become a symbolic battleground.
The party achieved a breakthrough in 2016 when veteran leader O. Rajagopal won a landmark victory.
However, the narrative changed in 2021, when V. Sivankutty of the CPI(M) reclaimed the seat in a tightly contested triangular contest.
Sivankutty is now seeking a second consecutive term, setting the stage for another intense contest.
Chandrasekhar’s early announcement of his candidature well before the formal election schedule was widely interpreted as a calculated move, signaling intent and urgency within the BJP ranks.
His campaign has consistently attempted to frame Nemom as the launchpad for a broader saffron resurgence in the state.
The BJP’s electoral trajectory in Kerala presents a mixed picture.
While it emerged as the runner-up in nine constituencies in 2021, its vote share has shown fluctuations, rising in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls before dipping slightly in the 2025 local body elections.
Against this backdrop, Nemom assumes outsized importance, with the BJP hoping to convert incremental gains into a decisive breakthrough.