Kerala’s unique demographics and history present a challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hopes of a “double-digit” win in the upcoming 2024 general election in India. The southern state, where the BJP has never won a seat, remains a stronghold for the Congress Party and the leftist coalition.
In Kerala, where all 20 constituencies will vote on April 26, the BJP has been steadily increasing its voter support but has yet to secure a national seat. Despite Modi’s ambitious goals for the party in the state, opinion polls suggest that anti-BJP parties may sweep all 20 seats.
One key battleground is the Thiruvananthapuram parliamentary seat, where BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar is challenging incumbent Shashi Tharoor of Congress. Chandrasekhar, a wealthy businessman and BJP minister, has faced scrutiny over his income declaration, but still enjoys support from some in the Hindu community.
However, in predominantly Christian and Muslim fishing villages, residents express concerns about Modi’s Hindutva agenda and his silence on incidents of church vandalism in other states. The BJP’s struggle to gain traction in Kerala is attributed to the state’s diverse demographic makeup, with Hindus, Muslims, and Christians each forming significant voting blocs.
Despite the BJP’s increasing vote share in Kerala, the state’s demographics and historical voting patterns pose a significant challenge to Modi’s hopes of a breakthrough in the upcoming election.
#Kerala #isnt #buying #Modi #claim #doubledigit #win #India #election
Key points of the article:
1. Kerala is the only state in India where the BJP has never won a national seat, despite a steady rise in voter support.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed during an election rally that the BJP would win double-digit seats in Kerala, but there is little evidence to support this claim.
3. Kerala is dominated by two coalitions, the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF), both of which are part of the opposition bloc aiming to stop Modi from winning a third term.
4. The BJP candidate in Thiruvananthapuram, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, is facing tough competition from the incumbent Shashi Tharoor of Congress and Panniyan Raveendran of the Communist Party of India.
5. Chandrasekhar’s campaign has faced scrutiny due to questions about his income, but he has support among some in the Hindu community.
6. The BJP faces challenges in Kerala due to the state’s unique demographic makeup, with Hindus, Muslims, and Christians each forming a significant portion of the population.
7. The lack of trust among minority groups towards the BJP, which champions a Hindu majoritarian agenda, makes it difficult for the party to gain traction in Kerala.