PM Modi bets on Thiruvananthapuram model to power BJP’s Kerala push ahead of Assembly polls

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Thiruvananthapuram on Friday is being closely watched within the BJP as a critical political intervention aimed at converting a historic civic breakthrough into wider electoral momentum in Kerala, a state where the party still has no presence in the 140-member Assembly.PM Modi will unveil the Capital City Development Blueprint and flag off the Amrit Bharat rail service, but the political subtext of the visit is unmistakable.Ever since the BJP scripted history in December by wresting control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation -- ending the CPI(M)’s uninterrupted 45-year dominance -- the Prime Minister has repeatedly cited the capital city as a symbol of “new political possibilities in Kerala.While the BJP has celebrated the corporation victory as a watershed moment, the national leadership has also taken note of a key concern -- despite winning power, the party’s vote share dipped compared to earlier elections.The paradox of power without vote consolidation has sharpened internal assessments, prompting a renewed push to expand the BJP’s social and electoral base ahead of the Assembly polls due in April - May this year. Friday’s visit is widely seen as an attempt to inject fresh energy into a cadre that has tasted power locally but remains electorally marginal at the state level.The BJP had promised during the civic polls that PM Modi would visit Thiruvananthapuram within 45 days of assuming control of the corporation, a commitment now being fulfilled with a high-visibility development pitch.The capital development blueprint is expected to outline new central projects, the next phase of the Smart City programme, a comprehensive waste management initiative, and a development corridor linked to the Vizhinjam port.Party strategists believe positioning Thiruvananthapuram as a model of BJP-led urban governance could help reframe the party’s image in Kerala.Events at Putharikandam Maidan will include the flagging off of four new trains, followed by a massive public meeting where the Prime Minister will address newly elected BJP local body representatives and party cadres.Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited earlier, has already set the tone by placing “Mission 2026 before the state leadership.For a party without a single MLA, the Thiruvananthapuram corporation has become both a breakthrough and a warning.PM Modi’s visit is now being viewed as an effort to turn symbolic victory into a sustained political narrative -- and test whether the capital can truly become the BJP’s launchpad in Kerala.--IANSsg/skp

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