Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan has stated that the BJP's ambition of capturing power in the state will remain unfulfilled, asserting that the region's deeply rooted secular character will block any significant saffron expansion. He maintained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS do not present an overwhelming threat to the Congress, which remains steadfast in its secular ideology.
While acknowledging that the BJP has made some electoral inroads by securing three Assembly seats and the Thiruvananthapuram municipal corporation, Satheesan claimed those victories were handed over by the ruling CPI(M) through political miscalculations and an unholy nexus. He argued that these gains do not reflect a broader transformation in the local political landscape, estimating the BJP's vote share will likely remain capped below twenty percent because the population continues to reject communal polarization.
Satheesan contended that the challenge posed by the BJP is both ideological and electoral, accusing the Sangh Parivar of trying to weaken social harmony by driving wedges between communities. He claimed that despite a decade of concerted efforts by the BJP to create a rift between Christian and Muslim populations, those attempts have miserably failed, while noting that the state's Hindu community largely votes across party lines without embracing communal politics.
Addressing Prime Minister Modi's milestone of completing twenty-five years at the head of a government, Satheesan extended congratulations while sharply criticizing the administration's political direction and democratic principles, labeling it a fascist government. He alleged that the broader Sangh Parivar, which he confirmed exerts total control over the BJP leadership, relies on hate campaigns and majority consolidation strategies to achieve temporary electoral gains.