Kerala emerges as prominent spot for national star campaigners this election

As early as January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was actively launching the election campaign of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Kerala. He commenced this effort by inaugurating a women’s convention, attended by notable personalities including actor Shobhana, athlete PT Usha and budding cricketer Minnu Mani.

Modi’s subsequent visit to Thrissur underscored the Bharatiya Janata Party’s concentrated focus on the region, with aspirations to overcome past challenges and secure their first representation in the Lok Sabha. Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi emerged as a key figure in this endeavour.

Modi magnet

Since then, Modi visited Kerala three more times in February, March and April and attended elections rallies in Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Kunnamkulam, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. This must be the first time a serving prime minister visited the state during an election campaign so many times.

Before the BJP had finalised its candidates, Modi initiated the campaign, notably mentioning “Modi’s Guarantee” for the first time in Kerala. This proactive approach began even before the candidate selection process, with the exception of Suresh Gopi in Thrissur, highlighting the party’s strategic intent and early momentum.

National-level star campaigners frequent Kerala

Since Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest from Wayanad, Kerala has transformed into a battleground for national-level star campaigners from all political camps. Prior to this, the state primarily witnessed sporadic appearances for nominal programmes or massive rallies featuring figures like Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, three or four times during a campaign period.

However, the dynamics changed significantly post-2019, with Kerala emerging as a prominent destination for high-profile political events.

Alongside, the Left parties maintained their tradition of organising rallies and seminars, often featuring leaders from Bengal, Tripura and Delhi, thereby contributing to the vibrant political discourse in the state.

Leveraging Sangh Parivar 

Modi’s political antics and road shows have consistently proven to be crowd pullers, drawing a significant portion of BJP-RSS sympathizers to his events. Leveraging the robust organisational structure of the Sangh Parivar, these functions are meticulously planned and executed to ensure maximum attendance. The Sangh Parivar’s organisational prowess helps, effectively mobilising supporters and energising the party’s electoral base, even though they have not yet succeeded in translating it into seats.

The prime minister’s early visits to Thrissur, coupled with his evident fondness for Suresh Gopi, played a crucial role in setting the tone for the BJP to project Gopi as a potential Union minister if they secure a victory. This strategically positioned Gopi as a prominent figure within the party’s ranks, cementing his significance in their electoral narrative.

BJP star campaigners in Kerala

Many Union ministers and former ministers made their presence felt in Kerala during this election cycle, actively engaging in rallies for the BJP and NDA. Following Modi’s example, Amit Shah emerged as another leader drawing significant crowds in Kerala. Shah concluded his series of visits with an election rally on April 24 where he reiterated the familiar charge of minority appeasement by both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF).

Prominent BJP figures including party president JP Nadda and leaders such as Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, S Jaishankar, Devandra Fadnavis, Nalin Kumar Katil and Meenakshi Lekhi were among the key campaigners who visited Kerala.

“The party is taking this election very seriously, and it is normal that many national leaders are spending time in Kerala. In most constituencies, we will make an impact, and we are fighting to win in many seats this time,” said Sandeep Vachaspati, the BJP state spokesperson.

Congress blitzkrieg

Meanwhile, the Congress mobilised several of its leaders to campaign for Rahul Gandhi and the UDF in Kerala, with notable exceptions like Sonia Gandhi who is reportedly dealing with health issues. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy and Panchayati raj minister Dansari Anasuya aka Seethakka were among those who lent their support to the campaign efforts.

Shivakumar, known for his significant social media following and celebrated as a hero in Kerala for his role in countering the BJP in Karnataka, stood out among the campaigners alongside Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.

Rahul attacks Left

Rahul Gandhi, who typically refrains from directly targeting Left parties, broke from this trend by launching some sharp criticisms against Pinarayi Vijayan and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). This shift in strategy significantly altered the dynamics of the election, particularly at a time when the UDF was facing some challenges, notably with the LDF highlighting issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and minority concerns.

This time all these leaders from outside Kerala were very critical of the LDF government and the CPI(M) with a set narrative that the latter has a tacit understanding with the BJP, indicating that they are relying heavily on the minority vote bank.

“Leaders from outside can indeed have a serious impact on voters. For instance, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka need no introduction in any nook and corner of the state. People cutting across party lines come to listen to them. The same applies to other leaders as well. DKS has a huge support base among our population, and that’s why there is such a huge attendance at his meetings,” said Samad, an UDF leader in Wayanad.

What Left parties did 

The Left parties also extended the Kerala fight beyond the state borders when they decided to field Annie Raja, a national-level women leader and the wife of CPI national secretary D Raja. As the Left parties usually do during the election period, they have a plan for national leaders, politburo members of the CPI(M) and national executive members of the CPI to tour the state and attend various political programmes.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja along with prominent figures like Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Subhashini Ali and Tapan Sen all actively participated in several election rallies.

Apart from the senior leaders, both the Left parties brought in young student leaders such as Aishe Ghosh and Avijit Ghosh from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) while the Congress invited former JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar, now a star speaker for the Congress. Additionally, Youth Congress President BV Srinivas actively campaigned for Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad.

Comrade Brinda 

Brinda Karat emerged as the most sought-after leader in the Left camp this time, largely due to her stellar image cultivated in minority areas. This reputation was solidified when she effectively prevented bulldozers from demolishing structures in the minority areas of Jahangirpuri in Delhi in 2022, earning her widespread respect and support.

“Comrade Brinda already had a significant following among the Left-leaning public, especially women, in Kerala. However, after the Jahangirpuri incident where she single-handedly stopped the bulldozers from razing structures, she has somehow become a hero among the minorities here, and her programmes were also well-attended,” said PK Khaleemuddin, a CPI(M) district secretariat member in Malappuram.

For Left supporters in Kerala, leaders like Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat and D Raja are as familiar as their state-level leaders.