Union Home Minister Amit Shah officially sounded the bugle for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections on Sunday, declaring that the BJP’s ultimate goal is to form a government that will safeguard the state’s traditions and accelerate development. Speaking at the Uday Palace Convention Centre, Shah congratulated the party’s newly elected local body representatives, calling their recent performance a “political turning point” for the state.
A Promise Kept: The Temple Visit
Shah began his high-profile visit by offering prayers at the historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. He revealed that the visit was the fulfillment of a personal vow he had made to return and offer thanks if the BJP performed well in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections.
“I had promised myself that if the people of Thiruvananthapuram backed the BJP, I would come here to thank Lord Padmanabhaswamy. Today, I stand here to fulfill that promise,” Shah told the gathering of supporters.
The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the capital city’s corporation during the recent local body polls, a result the Home Minister described as an “epoch-making feat” that has energized party workers across the country.
Protecting Faith and Fighting ‘Anti-National’ Forces
In a direct attack on the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF, Shah accused both fronts of compromising Kerala’s security and religious sentiments for “vote-bank politics.”
- Security & Sovereignty: Shah asserted that only a BJP government could protect Kerala from “desh virodhi taakat” (anti-national forces) that have allegedly found a haven in the state under alternating regimes.
- Safeguarding Traditions: Referring to recent controversies surrounding temple management and local beliefs, he stated that the BJP is the only party committed to shielding Kerala’s ancient traditions from state-sponsored interference.
- The LDF-UDF ‘Understanding’: Shah alleged that the two fronts have a “mutual understanding” of corruption, where they alternate power but never act against each other’s scams, specifically mentioning the gold smuggling investigations.
The Road to ‘Viksit Kerala’
The Home Minister emphasized that the vision of a “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) is incomplete without a “Viksit Kerala.” He argued that the state’s reliance on a “remittance economy” must evolve into a model of comprehensive industrial and infrastructural growth.
“The path to a developed India passes through a developed Kerala,” Shah noted. “For decades, the LDF and UDF have kept the state in a state of stagnation. The people of Kerala now realize that real change—not just a change of faces, but a change of system—is only possible under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi.”
Mission 2026: Strategy for the Assembly Polls
Following the public address, Shah chaired a high-level meeting with the NDA state core committee to finalize the roadmap for the upcoming Assembly elections due in April-May 2026. Reports suggest the party has identified 35 “A-category” seats for intensive campaigning, aiming to leverage the momentum from their recent urban local body victories.