On Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strategy for stepping up for the Lok Sabha election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a roadshow in Kochi in the evening, on his two-day visit. Moreover, the Prime Minister first arrived at Cochin International Airport, Andhra Pradesh, and was then received by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on the tarmac. Afterwards, he took a chopper ride to the Naval base airport and drove down to the starting point of the roadshow.
PM Modi’s Roadshow
The roadshow began with Prime Minister Modi travelling in an open jeep around evening 7:30 pm, accompanied by the BJP state president K Surendran, and hundreds of party workers lined up on both sides of the road, throwing flowers and shouting slogans at the cavalcade. However, the roadshow started nearly three hours late due to logistical issues, but the delay did not dampen the supporters’ spirit.
The roadshow took a one-and-a-half kilometer in the city from KPCC Junction to Ernakulam Guest House around 8:10 pm. The previous year, the PM had visited the state for the youth conclave on a 1.3 km-long route. The BJP district president KS Shaiju had said that more than 45,000 workers were expected to participate in the roadshow. Apart from this, there are several other activities to be done during PM’s two-day visit to Kerala as well as Andhra Pradesh.
Activities for the two-day visit
On January 16, the Prime Minister performed pooja and darshan at the Veerabhadra Temple, Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh. Then, he reached Palasamudram in Chittoor district to inaugurate the new campus of the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics (NACIN). He also interacted with Officer Trainees of the 74th and 75th batches of the Indian Revenue Service as well as the officers’ trainees of the Royal Civil Service of Bhutan.
Moreover, on Wednesday, January 17, the PM as part of his visit, will perform pooja and darshan at the Shree Krishna Temple in Guruvayur. He will visit Thriprayar Shree Ramaswami Temple to offer prayer. After that, he will inaugurate important infrastructure projects related to ports, shipping and the waterways sector in Kochi. This is the second time visit of PM Modi to Kerala after two weeks. From holding roadshows to inaugurating massive projects, the party is strategically moving forward.
Political Implications on Opposition
The recent roadshow served as a powerful display of BJP’s growing support base in Kerala, a state where the party has traditionally struggled. The event effectively kickstarted the party’s campaign in Kerala, energizing supporters creating a buzz around BJP’s presence in the state and mobilizing opposition, which signifies a shift in voters’ sentiment and boosts the party’s morale heading into the 2024 elections. Furthermore, this might provoke the dominance of the Left and Congress in Kerala. This could lead to heightened political tension and clashes between opposing parties in the lead-up to the election in the coming months.
Possible Outcomes
Modi’s direct interaction with the voters’ coupled with media coverage of the event, could improve his image and BJP’s standing in Kerala. Also, if the BJP manages to win some seats in the state, it could break the monopoly and have long-term consequences for political alliance and power dynamics.
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