Having elbowed its way into the State’s bipolar polity, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to be aiming at a slice of the pie of the pressure groups of the Hindu communities and the interest groups of the minorities, especially Christians, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Historically, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) have consistently reaped the electoral rewards of these communities. However, since the BJP assumed power at the Centre in 2014, the party has been proactively cultivating ties with these groups, resulting in a surge in support from communities such as the Nairs and Ezhavas/Thiyyas.
