Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s leadership faces test in Kerala polls - change on the cards?

Kottayam: The upcoming Assembly election results will be crucial for the future of BJP’s state leadership in Kerala. Although the party is hoping to win four seats, failure to secure at least one could trigger calls for a change in leadership. While no one has publicly announced a voluntary retirement, unlike in the Congress, dissent within the party could lead to demands for a leadership reshuffle.

So far, no one in the party has openly opposed Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s leadership, largely because his appointment was backed by Amit Shah. Shah had earlier criticised the BJP’s performance in Kerala, noting that despite a long tradition of work by the Sangh, the party had not achieved proportional representation in the state legislature. Rajeev Chandrasekhar was given the responsibility of addressing this gap.

In the local body elections, Chandrasekhar’s strategy focused on maximising visibility in areas where the party and its alliances had potential for growth. The BJP registered successes in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, as well as in the Palakkad and Tripunithura municipalities. Similarly, during the Assembly elections, efforts were concentrated on strongholds. However, the decision to allocate constituencies such as Tripunithura and Ranni to alliance partners has drawn internal criticism within the party.

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The party also initiated a Christian outreach programme, based on the assessment that securing a section of minority votes is essential for electoral success in Kerala. This included inducting Christian leaders into the party and fielding them as candidates. The state leadership’s positions on issues such as the arrest of nuns and amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act were aligned with church concerns. However, these moves have also attracted criticism.

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Critics, including T.P. Senkumar, have argued that the strategy reflects a poor understanding of Kerala’s political realities. However, if the Assembly results are revisited and the party manages to win two or more seats, Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s approach is likely to gain wider acceptance within the organisation.