Thiruvananthapuram: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Kerala late on Friday night to inaugurate the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) new state committee office and formally kick off the party’s campaign for the upcoming local body elections.

According to an official statement, Shah is expected to land at Thiruvananthapuram airport around 10 pm, where he will be received by BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar along with other senior party leaders.

The new BJP state headquarters will be formally inaugurated at 11 am on Saturday. The ceremony will include Shah hoisting the party flag, lighting a traditional lamp, planting a sapling in front of the building, and cutting a ribbon to officially open the premises.

As part of the event, a bronze half-bust of the late K G Marar, a former BJP state president, will be unveiled in the building’s central hall.

Following the inauguration, Shah is set to address a major ward-level leadership meeting at Putharikandam Maidan at 11:30 am. The gathering will mark the formal launch of the BJP’s campaign for the local body polls. The party expects around 25,000 grassroots leaders from 5,000 ward committees across Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha revenue districts to attend in person.

Additionally, BJP workers and local leaders from the remaining 10 revenue districts will participate virtually from centres in various panchayat areas. In total, the party estimates that over 1.5 lakh supporters will take part in the event online.

Later in the afternoon, Shah is scheduled to attend a closed-door meeting with the BJP’s state leadership, where election strategies and preparations for the local polls will be discussed.

Speaking ahead of the event, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the leadership meet would mark the official start of the BJP’s local election campaign. He claimed that people across Kerala were “seeking change” and accused the state government of “continued neglect,” particularly in the health and education sectors.

Shah is expected to depart Thiruvananthapuram for Kannur by 4 pm. He will visit the renowned Rajarajeshwara Temple in Taliparamba before flying back to Delhi, the party’s statement added.