5 reasons why Modi and BJP are betting on Palakkad to open Kerala account

With Lok Sabha elections just around the corner, the BJP is trying to expand its footprint in southern India, including Kerala.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the state on Friday to promote the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidates in Kerala, making it his fourth such visit since January.

Modi will visit Pathanamthitta, Palakkad, and neighbouring Ponnani and Alathur constituencies between March 15 and 18.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP fielded candidates in 20 constituencies and managed to garner 18,56,750 votes in Kerala increasing its vote share by 4 per cent in the state.

BJP is steadily increasing its electoral base through Kerala’s Palakkad district. Modi will also lead a road show with state general secretary, C Krishnakumar, who put up an impressive show in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls securing 2.18 lakh votes and growing its share by 21.44 per cent.

A look at the timeline of BJP’s electoral journey in Palakkad and why it matters for the saffron party:

1- In 2014, Palakkad among BJP’s ‘best four’: After the elections of 2014, the BJP had secured 10 per cent or more votes in nine constituencies with four constituencies namely, Kasaragod, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram, pocketing more than 15 per cent votes

2- In 2015, in a first, BJP won the Palakkad Municipality election: The Narendra Modi wave swept elections in the country, also winning a local municipality election in Palakkad in 2015. The state unit described the victory as the beginning of “change”. BJP’s Prameela Sashidharan was elected chairperson of the municipality as she defeated UDF candidate Priya.

3- In 2019, the BJP increased its vote share: In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP fielded its state president K Surendran. While he came third, losing to INC and CPI (M) candidates, the party increased its vote share by a significant 13.50 per cent.

4- In 2020, Palakkad municipal polls again went BJP’s way: Having no majority in the state, the saffron party managed to keep a stronghold in the municipality for five years. It won 28 out of the 52 seats in a close fight improving its position by four seats from 24 in 2015.

5- In 2021, Metro Man lost the state elections but narrowly: BJP fielded E Sreedharan, popularly known as ‘Metroman’, from the Palakkad constituency. The civil engineer fought elections from the city and lost by a narrow margin of  3,859 votes to a Congress MLA.