Christian outreach: Kerala BJP to revise strategy; focus shifts from bishop houses to grassroots

Thiruvananthapuram: With the ‘Christian Outreach’ strategy failing to secure Christian votes, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has opted for a strategy shift. While there is no disagreement on the need to keep Christians on board, the current approach is deemed ineffective. Meeting church leaders after visiting the bishop’s house alone does not yield results. The BJP has decided it must build rapport and personal connections with ordinary Christians.

The policy change comes after the party did not receive the expected votes from the Christian community in the local body elections and faced continuous criticism from church leaders, including those linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (BJP’s ideological parent). The party’s assessment, however, notes a strong overall performance in the local elections.

The BJP is analysing vote counts and reports at the ward level and studying community-wise vote shares. Those with local ties to ordinary members of the Christian community received higher votes.

Criticism from church leaders over attacks on Christians in North India has unsettled the BJP. When two Malayali nuns were arrested in Chhattisgarh over allegations of religious conversion, the BJP’s proactive intervention drew RSS-affiliated organisations’ flak against the Kerala leadership.