Thiruvananthapuram: During a party event held here in February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a bold announcement that the NDA would secure double-digit seats in Kerala in the Lok Sabha Elections.

Initially perceived as a lofty aspiration, there is high probability that the saffron party will manage to make inroads into Kerala Politics, long dominated by the UDF and LDF. The exit poll results, released on Saturday, signal a potential shift in this trend. Though the exit poll results do not indicate that the BJP will secure double-digit seats in the State, the majority of them did indicate that the BJP-led NDA will grab two to three seats. 

The BJP leadership in Kerala also remains optimistic, interpreting the exit poll results as a potential turning point. Following the announcement, BJP camps are abuzz with a sense of celebration.

The NDA waged a significant campaign in Kerala, deploying three BJP MPs, including two Union Ministers, in what they considered a critical battle. The party believes that their vigorous campaigning across constituencies like Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Alathur, Attingal, and Pathanamthitta, spearheaded by Modi himself, has made a substantial impact on voter sentiment. Thrissur, in particular, has been identified as a promising constituency for the BJP.

The latest exit polls forecast one to three seats for the BJP in Kerala, with notable agencies like India Today-Axis My India and Chanakya predicting a significant national win for the NDA, boosting the BJP's confidence in Kerala. 

The BJP believes it has gained from the ongoing rivalry between the LDF and UDF despite being part of the India Front. Additionally, they perceive anti-incumbency sentiment against the State government and strategic shifts in voting patterns among various religious communities as advantageous. However, both the LDF and the UDF have rejected the exit poll results.

In response to the exit polls, Congress leader K Muraleedharan expressed scepticism, suggesting that V Muraleedharan would be stunned by the results, while Pinarayi Vijayan would be held accountable if Suresh Gopi even secured second place in Thrissur. On the other hand, LDF convener E P Jayarajan dismissed the results, alleging political motives behind them. CPM State secretary M V Govindan also rebuffed the predictions, labelling those who conducted the exit polls as delusional.

The exit poll results hint at the BJP's increasing influence in South India. The party's State leadership anticipates a similar surge in Karnataka, even without a regional government in place, and believes Kerala will ride this wave.