As I stood outside the Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, the heat of the April sun beating down on me, I watched as India’s junior Information Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar stepped out of his air-conditioned SUV. Draped in a traditional dhoti and silk shawl, he approached the idol of the elephant-headed god, seeking blessings before addressing a crowd of 500 eager supporters. Chandrasekhar, a former entrepreneur, is vying for the Thiruvananthapuram parliamentary seat in India’s ongoing general election, which kicked off on April 19.
The stakes are high for Chandrasekhar and his party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in a state where the BJP has never won a national seat. Despite a steady rise in voter support, from 1.75 percent in 1984 to 13 percent in 2019, the BJP faces an uphill battle in Kerala, a state long dominated by the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF). In the 2019 election, the UDF secured 19 of 20 seats, while the LDF managed to win just one.
Chandrasekhar’s chief opponent is incumbent Shashi Tharoor of the Congress Party, a formidable figure seeking re-election for a fourth consecutive term. The Communist Party of India’s Panniyan Raveendran also poses a challenge in a constituency where political alliances and history play a significant role.
Despite controversies surrounding Chandrasekhar’s business dealings and income, his campaign seems to resonate with some members of the Hindu community, who make up the majority of the electorate in Thiruvananthapuram. However, the BJP faces resistance in Christian and Muslim communities, where concerns about Modi’s Hindu-centric policies and inaction on issues like the Manipur violence loom large.
Kerala’s unique demographic composition, with Hindus, Muslims, and Christians all holding significant sway, presents a challenge for the BJP’s Hindu majoritarian agenda. As the BJP struggles to form alliances and gain the trust of minority groups, its rise in voting percentage has yet to translate into parliamentary seats in Kerala.
As the campaign heats up in Thiruvananthapuram, all eyes are on Chandrasekhar and his efforts to defy the odds and make history for the BJP in a state known for its progressive social indicators. With the election date drawing closer, the outcome in Thiruvananthapuram remains uncertain, reflecting the complex tapestry of politics in Kerala.