Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a historic stride by winning three seats in the Kerala assembly elections, a feat the party quickly noted was symbolic as it had achieved the same number of seats in West Bengal in 2016. This victory can be seen as a stamp of approval for state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s strategy to focus more on development and less on divisive politics.
Chandrasekhar's Strategy Pays Off
When the former Union minister took over the reins of the party in Kerala, Chandrasekhar was clear that he would stay away from the saffron politics that wins BJP votes elsewhere in the country. This approach seems to have paid off, as it helped the party increase its connect with urban voters in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, areas that were grossly neglected by successive governments.
Key Victories in Urban Constituencies
Chandrasekhar won the Nemom seat by defeating incumbent V. Sivankutty, who had wrested the seat from BJP in the 2021 election. All three constituencies won by the BJP—Nemom and Kazhakuttom in Thiruvananthapuram district and Chathannur in Kollam—are urban constituencies. The victory in these constituencies, where BJP had finished second in several previous elections, proved that groundwork, not rabble-rousing campaigns, can win them seats.
Shift in Campaign Strategy
If the election campaigns of several BJP candidates were replete with saffron color and Sangh Parivar symbols in the 2021 polls, they hardly resorted to such shows this time, and such elements were almost absent in Nemom, Kazhakuttom, and Chathannur. This shift in strategy resonated with urban voters who prioritize development over ideological rhetoric.
Bright Prospects in Kozhikode
This election also brightened the hopes of BJP in Kozhikode north and south seats, where the party candidates scored close to 40,000 votes for the first time. Additionally, BJP won 13 seats in the Kozhikode corporation for the first time, indicating growing support in the region.
