BJP Launches Promising Kerala Election Manifesto
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Thiruvananthapuram, March 31 (NationPress) On Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) revealed its electoral manifesto for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, presenting an ambitious agenda filled with significant infrastructure initiatives and welfare programs in a bid to enhance its presence in the region.
The elections are set for April 9, where voters will choose 140 new representatives.
This manifesto includes plans to establish an AIIMS in Kerala, introduce metro rail systems in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, and create a high-speed corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur.
Welfare commitments feature provisions for two free LPG cylinders yearly for underprivileged families, 20,000 liters of complimentary drinking water per household each month, and an increase in welfare pensions to Rs 3,000.
The party also aims to reorganize Devaswom Boards and initiate a CBI investigation into the Sabarimala gold smuggling case.
The manifesto was launched by BJP President Nitin Nabin under the motto "This is change, this is developed Kerala".
Present at the unveiling were Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar and other party officials.
The BJP previously secured its sole Assembly seat in 2016 from Nemom with veteran leader O. Rajagopal.
However, in 2021, a competitive triangular race saw V. Sivankutty of the CPI-M reclaim the Assembly seat.
Sivankutty is now aiming to retain it, while Chandrasekhar was the first to declare his candidacy well in advance of the Assembly elections, indicating the BJP's goal to regain its former political strength.
The BJP's recent electoral track record shows a mixed outcome.
Although it was the runner-up in nine Assembly constituencies in 2021, its vote share has fluctuated.
The BJP's vote share increased from 12.41 percent in the 2021 Assembly elections to 15.64 percent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, bolstered by a notable victory in Thrissur.
Nonetheless, this momentum appeared inconsistent, as the vote share fell to 14.71 percent in the 2025 local body elections, despite a vital win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
Nemom continues to be a crucial electoral battleground, symbolizing the BJP's fluctuating poll prospects in Kerala.
The BJP has highlighted Chandrasekhar's lead in the Assembly seat during the 2024 Parliamentary elections as a possible indication of resurgence, as it strives to convert incremental gains into a significant breakthrough in the forthcoming Assembly elections.