Inside BJP’s Keralam Poll Play: Courting Christians, Cracking UDF Base

Last Updated:March 19, 2026, 08:51 IST

From church-influenced constituencies in central Kerala to broader social outreach across districts, the party seems to be investing in a slow political transition

The BJP’s Christian outreach, which has been a talking point in Keralam for long, is now taking clearer electoral shape. The party is banking on gains among Christian voters in the assembly elections this time as the early momentum appears to be driven by sections of the Syro-Malabar community. With the Christians seemingly being aligned with the BJP in some areas, the party is likely to make a dent in the UDF’s traditional vote bank.

Across central Keralam, particularly in the Syro-Malabar belt of Kottayam and Pala, the party has stepped up a calibrated outreach, engaging community leaders, making them meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, also backing local interlocutors, and reframing its political messaging. The approach is notably different from its traditional playbook elsewhere. In Kerala, the approach is quieter, more conversational, and rooted in local concerns.

Talking to News 18, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP’s state president said, “Our outreach is to everyone, every community. Christians have now begun to see the issues. But, for a developed Keralam, we are telling everyone that we are a hardworking party and we will leave no stone unturned to take Keralam to great heights."

The party says it is seeing an uptick in support, particularly among the influential Syro-Malabar Christian community. In recent civic polls across the state, the BJP fielded around 900 Christian candidates, according to Shone George, the party’s vice-president in charge of Christian outreach. He added that issues such as community upliftment, concerns around “love jihad", migration, and Waqf land disputes are resonating with sections of Christian voters.

Reframing the Pitch

In Kerala’s Christian heartland, politics has long been shaped by institutional influence, local leadership, and a stable alignment with the Congress-led UDF. The BJP’s entry into this space, therefore, is not confrontational but incremental.

The Kerala Congress, a party dominated by the Christian community, primarily by Syro-Malabar Christians, has traditionally supported the Congress led coalition—UDF. However, the party has now seen factional feud, which may help BJP. “Kerala Congress has now been divided into nine factions. We are requesting all to join us for a developed Kerala," added Shone George.

The party is now concentrating its narrative, foregrounding issues such as land rights, economic anxieties, and the steady migration of youth to the Middle East. Even contentious subjects like ‘love jihad’ are being repositioned in a way that seeks resonance within sections of the Christian community.

Crucially, this outreach is being led by community-linked figures and local networks, signalling an understanding that political legitimacy in Kerala must be built from within, not imposed from outside.

A Narrow Window, Not a Wave

Despite this renewed engagement, there is little evidence yet of a large-scale political shift. Conversations on the ground reflect caution as much as curiosity. Keralam’s Christian community remains politically aware and institutionally anchored, with a strong memory of ideological positions and historical alignments. The BJP continues to be viewed through that lens, even as it attempts to soften perceptions.

Supporting Christian families in the Munambam land dispute, where the Waqf Board has claimed property inhabited by the community, has been a crucial turning point. Around 600 families started a hunger strike against the claim. Phillip Joseph, a prominent Christian face in the locality, joined BJP following the claim by Waqf board. Joseph is leading the protest.

Talking to News 18, Joseph said, “We have appealed to the government and every party here, and even to the Church to help these families. But our requests remained unheard and our issues remained unaddressed. This situation made us join BJP which understood our issues." Joseph joined BJP and he has been appointed party’s vice-president, Minority Morcha.

Meanwhile, PM Modi has held multiple meetings with top bishops and Church leaders, including a high-profile participation in Christmas celebrations hosted by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India (CBCI)

What is emerging, however, is a limited but significant opening, a willingness among some to engage on specific issues without necessarily committing electorally. In a state defined by tight bipolar contests, even a marginal shift in vote share can alter outcomes in closely fought seats. The BJP’s Keralam strategy, therefore, is not built around immediacy but endurance. From church-influenced constituencies in central Kerala to broader social outreach across districts, the party seems to be investing in a slow political transition, one that seeks to move from the margins to relevance.

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