The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks to offset its perceived political frailties in Kerala by weaving its campaign around the persona of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his “development, welfare, and security” agenda.
Mr. Modi is visiting Kerala for the second time in January, signalling that, perhaps, after Tamil Nadu, the BJP views the State as an auxiliary launch pad for its expansion into south India after the Congress trounced the party in the Karnataka and Telangana Assembly elections.
A toehold in Kerala or Tamil Nadu is essential for the BJP’s national aspirations and attempts to project itself as a party of regional economic growth and inclusiveness.