Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to inaugurate the Bharatiya Janata Party’s new state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday as part of a two-day visit to Kerala.
His arrival in the state capital is scheduled for Friday night via a special flight.
The formal inauguration will take place the following morning, where Shah will unveil the newly constructed BJP office and address a large gathering of party workers at a major city venue.
The event will also include a community lunch, bringing together grassroots-level workers from across the southern districts.
After the public meeting, Shah will travel to Kannur to offer prayers at the renowned Thaliparamba Rajarajeswari Temple around 4 PM.
He is likely to return to Delhi later in the evening. His itinerary combines political engagement with spiritual outreach—an approach often employed by the BJP to connect with local communities.
A timely political move
Shah’s visit comes at a pivotal moment for the BJP in Kerala, with local body elections approaching.
The party expects a turnout of over 40,000 workers for the event, highlighting its intent to mobilise its cadre in a state where it has historically faced stiff competition from the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
While the BJP has yet to secure substantial electoral wins in Kerala, it achieved a breakthrough in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi won from Thrissur, pushing the Congress to third place.
The party now hopes to carry this momentum into the 2025 local polls, particularly in urban centres like Thiruvananthapuram, where it serves as the principal opposition in the Corporation.
In the 2020 local body elections, the LDF garnered 40.18% of the vote, followed by the UDF with 37.92%, and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with 15.02%.
Kerala has 23,612 local wards across Grama Panchayats, Block Panchayats, District Panchayats, Municipalities, and Corporations.
Of the 941 Grama Panchayats, the LDF won 514, the UDF 321, and the NDA just 19. In the six municipal Corporations, the LDF controls five, while the UDF holds one.
The BJP views the upcoming elections as a crucial test of its grassroots strength and organisational reach.
Amit Shah’s visit underscores the BJP’s determination to expand its footprint in Kerala through strategic planning, infrastructure development, and grassroots mobilisation.
The inauguration of the new party headquarters serves as both a symbolic and practical step towards achieving that goal.
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