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Shah called the party’s recent success in the local body polls as a stepping stone towards this larger goal.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah (PTI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ultimate goal in Kerala was to form a government under the lotus symbol and bring a BJP Chief Minister to power in the state.
Addressing newly elected BJP councillors in Thiruvananthapuram, Shah called the party’s recent success in the local body polls as a stepping stone towards this larger goal. He said the victory was not an end in itself but part of a long-term plan to expand the party’s presence in Kerala.
“This victory is not our goal, but a stepping stone towards achieving our goal,” Shah said. “Our ultimate goal is to form a government in Kerala under the lotus symbol and bring a BJP Chief Minister. Our goal is to make Kerala fully developed and to protect Kerala from anti-national forces, to protect the power of faith that has existed in Kerala for centuries.”
Shah arrived in the state capital on Saturday night for a one-day visit. This was his first visit to Thiruvananthapuram after the BJP-led NDA captured power in the city corporation in the recent local body elections, ending four decades of Left rule.
He said support for the BJP in Kerala was steadily increasing and expressed confidence that the party would form the government in the upcoming state elections. Shah also launched a sharp attack on the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
Pointing to the BJP’s growing vote share, Shah said the party had secured 11 per cent of the vote in 2014, 16 per cent in 2019 and 20 per cent in 2024. He said the next jump would not take long and predicted a major breakthrough by 2026.
Shah credited party workers for the recent gains, noting that the BJP had won 30 gram panchayats, two municipalities and the mayor’s post in Thiruvananthapuram.
“Today, with great humility, on behalf of the BJP, I want to dedicate our victory to the hundreds of party workers who have served time in jail and to their families,” he noted.
(With inputs from ANI)
Kerala, India, India
January 11, 2026, 17:26 IST
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