The southern Indian state of Kerala has for years resisted the temptation to vote for the Hindu nationalist party of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the last elections in 2019, the BJP did not win a single seat in this state. However, Narendra Modi is stepping up his political rallies and election promises.

Kerala

The southern Indian state of Kerala continues to stand out in its political landscape by never having elected a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the 2019 elections, the BJP failed to secure any seats in Kerala, underscoring the state's resistance to the party's appeal. This is notable considering Narendra Modi's escalated efforts through intensified political rallies and election pledges.

Members of the BJP have been actively campaigning in Kerala, emphasizing their dedication to win over voters in the forthcoming elections. For instance, their canvassing efforts in the city of Alleppey aim to attract support for their candidate, Shobha, represented by the lotus symbol. Despite these efforts, the state’s demographic composition and political inclinations pose significant challenges for the BJP. Kerala has a higher proportion of religious minorities, with Christians and Muslims together constituting 45% of the population, many of whom are wary of the BJP's Hindu nationalist agenda.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attempted to engage with the Catholic community, including a notable meeting with church representatives in 2023. Nonetheless, these efforts have not been sufficient to shift the state’s political predisposition. Kerala’s residents are described as politically savvy and deeply invested in the secular principles of the Indian constitution, often viewing the BJP as a fundamentalist organization at odds with these values.

The electoral battleground in Kerala sets the BJP against a coalition of the Congress Party and the Communist Party, with early predictions favoring the latter. Shashi Tharoor, a candidate seeking reelection, has expressed skepticism regarding the BJP's Hindutva appeal in Kerala, citing the negative experiences of Christians under BJP governance in other states. The history of attacks on Christian communities has significantly tarnished the BJP's image among Kerala's Christian population.

Kerala's steadfast refusal to elect a BJP candidate in its four-decade history positions it as a unique entity in India's political fabric. The state exemplifies a strong allegiance to secular and democratic principles, resisting the influence of Hindu nationalist rhetoric that has gained traction elsewhere in the country.



India election: Kerala, the only state where BJP never won

Please vote for Shobha, our sister. She is represented with the lotus symbol. Please make her win. Members of Prime Minister's Hindu Nationalist Party, the BJP, take to the streets of the southern Indian city of Alleppey. Please vote for Shobha, our sister, with the lotus symbol. Their mission is to convince voters in this predominantly Hindu area to vote for the BJP candidate in the upcoming elections. Across India, the people of Kerala are not easily convinced by our party because their mentality is set up to believe that the BJP is a fundamentalist organization. In this state of Kerala, the percentage of religious minorities is higher than the national average. Christians and Muslims make up 45% of the population, which rejects Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist policies. On his part, Prime Minister tried his best to win over the Catholic community by meeting with church representatives in 2023. Not enough to convince Father Jose. The people of Kerala are politically aware. This is exactly why the fundamentalists have not been able to impose themselves so far. Kerala is a place that believes in the secular fabric of India and defends the constitution as it is, so fundamentalists have no place here. A bastion of the left, Kerala will witness a fight between the BJP and an alliance of Congress and the Communist Party, a coalition predicted to win in the polls. Shashi Tharoor is seeking a fourth term as an MP from this state. He believes that BJP's Hindutva appeal won't thrive in Kerala. The Christian community has seen the experiences of Christians under BJP rule in other parts of the country. They have seen attacks on Christians in various churches and homes in the course of Christmas week last year and the year before in northern Indian states. And therefore they don't trust anything the BJP says to the Christian community here. In the four decades of BJP's existence, none of its candidates have ever won an MP seat from here. Kerala remains the only state in the country where Modi's magic hasn't worked so far.

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