Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a Malayalee from Gujarat and former Union Minister, is steering the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala toward an unorthodox, development-focused campaign under the banner of ‘Viksit Keralam’ (Developed Kerala), breaking from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-centric playbook of his predecessors. Appointed state president in March 2025, Chandrasekhar, a technocrat-turned-politician, is leveraging his corporate background and Modi government schemes to position the BJP as a viable alternative in Kerala’s polarized political landscape ahead of the December 2025 local body polls and the 2026 Assembly elections.
Chandrasekhar’s strategy emphasizes governance and accessibility over communal rhetoric, a departure from the BJP’s traditional approach in Kerala, where it has struggled to secure a foothold against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF). His flagship initiative, the Viksit Keralam convention, launched across the party’s 30 organizational districts, involved over 600 functionaries in ‘Team Vikasita Keralam’ to critique the alleged misgovernance of LDF and UDF while promoting central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana for small business loans and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for rural connectivity.
On July 9, he introduced BJP help desks in all district headquarters—described as a first for the party—to connect citizens with these schemes and address grievances, with plans for a mobile app to enhance accessibility. “This is not politics, the aim is to deliver development,” Chandrasekhar said at the launch, emphasizing public service over vote-bank tactics.
Political analyst K.P. Sethunath noted that Chandrasekhar’s appointment as a non-RSS technocrat signals a strategic shift. “The BJP has scaled down anti-minority rhetoric, relying on fringe elements for that narrative,” he told ThePrint, adding that the campaign targets Kerala’s urban middle class, particularly upper-caste and upper-class voters disillusioned with LDF and UDF. However, Sethunath cautioned that the Viksit Keralam vision, heavily tied to Modi’s Viksit Bharat, faces challenges due to perceived inefficiencies in national initiatives and waning “Modi magic.”
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Chandrasekhar, 60, brings a unique profile to the role. Educated in Thrissur and holding a Master’s in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology, he founded BPL Mobile in 1994, a pioneering Indian telecom venture. His 18-year Rajya Sabha tenure from Karnataka and stint as Minister of State for Electronics and IT (2021-2024) bolster his credentials, though his 2024 Lok Sabha loss to Congress’s Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram by 16,077 votes underscores the challenge of building a local identity. His July 18 meeting at Mararji Bhavan focused on sharpening organizational strategies, with senior leaders aligning behind his vision of a BJP-led NDA government by 2026.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a July 12 visit to inaugurate the BJP’s new state office, reinforced Chandrasekhar’s mission, declaring Viksit Keralam as the path to Viksit Bharat. Shah set an ambitious target of 25% vote share in the local polls across 21,000 wards, citing projects like the Vizhinjam seaport and railway electrification as evidence of BJP’s commitment. However, internal dissent persists, with some leaders unhappy over district-level appointments made under former president K. Surendran, though Chandrasekhar dismissed claims of disunity, asserting that “all leaders work unitedly for Viksit Keralam.”
Despite his outsider tag, Chandrasekhar’s tech-driven, inclusive approach—emphasizing jobs, investment, and governance without “nokku kooli” (gawking wages)—has energized party workers. BJP general secretary Renu Suresh highlighted his ties to the central leadership as key to coordinating development efforts. Yet, with Kerala’s electorate historically loyal to LDF and UDF, and recent X posts questioning his local connect, Chandrasekhar faces a tight deadline to deliver results in the 2025 polls, as mandated by PM Modi and BJP chief J.P. Nadda.
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