Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | BJP's push in Christian belts sees limited gains

By fielding heavyweights from community, BJP is thinking of making people in central Kerala's Christian belts think of the saffron party as an alternative to LDF and UDF.

Kottayam: James, a planter of Kanjirapally Assembly constituency in Kottayam district of central Kerala, and his son Akhil are quite excited as union minister of state for minority affairs George Kurian, who is the BJP candidate, visited their home seeking votes. 

"It's for the first time that a union minister is visiting our home. It is time for us to back those who could bring in change," says Akhil, while James shows no hesitation in seeing BJP as an alternative.

At Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district, another Christian stronghold in central Kerala, Manoj was eagerly showing his friends the picture of BJP candidate Anoop Antony Joseph, who is said to be one in the inner circles of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visiting his small home.

By fielding heavyweights from the Christian community, the BJP is thinking of making people in Christian belts of central Kerala believe that saffron party will be an alternative to the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front. Development is BJP's mantra to woo voters.

However, those ripples seem to be inadequate to flush out the anti-Christian mindset about the BJP caused by various measures, the latest being the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act that could affect many NGOs run by churches.

"Already there are very tight regulations to prevent any sort of misappropriation. Bringing in new provisions that even provide for taking over all assets of NGOs in case of any delay in renewing licence are really irrational," says Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council deputy secretary general Father Thomas Tharayil.

George Kurian maintains that a lot of misinformation campaign was being carried out against the BJP. "We have strongly intervened in all cases of attack on nuns and priests. Modi's development agenda is for all the people," George told DH.

Kerala Congress (M) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani, who is contesting as LDF candidate at Pala, is trying to cash in on FCRA amendment moves. "Will there be regulations in conducting masses too," Mani asked in a channel interview.

A latest decision of the Election commission to hold the training for election officials on Good Friday day has also not gone down well with the churches. "The government should withdraw from such measures that amounted to neglect towards Chrisitan beliefs and customs," said Fr Philip Kaviyil, director of Catholic Congress affiliated to the Syro Malabar church.

Even as Christians constitute only around 18 per cent of Kerala population, they remain as a key vote bank in many constituencies.

The Christian community was generally considered as vote banks of the UDF. But in the 2021 election there was a swing in favour of the LDF owing to various interventions of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. But now the UDF has a better chance of getting the support of the community.