BJP targets Kerala's Christian community for outreach efforts

The BJP is working on a new plan to connect with the Christian community in Kerala. This plan is part of a broader strategy to address concerns specific to different states, including Tamil Nadu and Punjab. The goal is to strengthen the party's presence across India, especially after losing support in the last Lok Sabha elections. Key BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Party President J P Nadda, meet weekly to discuss this outreach strategy. These meetings take place at Nadda’s home and involve issuing instructions to party members for the following week. Recently, other senior leaders and ministers have joined these discussions, focusing on state issues. The Christian community is important in Kerala, and the BJP has made efforts to appeal to them. However, tensions have arisen between Christians and Muslims over issues like interfaith marriages and shifts in population dynamics. The BJP has been vocal about these concerns. While Hindus are the majority in Kerala, they are politically divided among various groups including the LDF and UDF, with the BJP holding a smaller presence. Many Hindus in the state do not fully support the BJP's Hindutva agenda, as they often align with leftist or moderate ideologies.