Thiruvananthapuram: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday urged BJP workers in Kerala to dream of installing the party’s first Chief Minister in the state, striking an upbeat note in Thiruvananthapuram despite the BJP falling well short of the electoral benchmark he had set ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Addressing newly elected BJP and NDA representatives at a convention centre in Kowdiar, Shah sought to rally party cadres even as the results of the 2025 local body elections exposed the steep climb facing the party.
During his previous visit to Kerala on July 12, 2025, Shah had asserted that the road to the Secretariat in 2026 would pass through the local body polls, setting a target of securing at least 25 per cent of the vote share, IANS reported.
The BJP, however, ended the local elections with 14.80 per cent, far below the stated goal, with its most notable success being the mayoral post in Thiruvananthapuram.
Turning that solitary achievement into a symbolic moment, Shah referred to his visit earlier in the day to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
He recalled having pledged to offer prayers there if the BJP won the mayor’s post in the state capital.
“I am coming here straight after paying obeisance to the Lord,” he said, drawing loud applause from party workers.