Shah was reportedly frank with the state BJP leadership for its “laidback” attitude. He was not overly impressed with the leadership’s claim that the National Democratic Alliance had successfully increased its vote share. Instead, he wanted proven results in the 2019 general elections. “Don’t talk to me about vote percentage. Show me results…how many seats,” he told a BJP core committee meeting at Kochi. In fact, this was the main thrust in almost all his meetings, 22 in all, in Kochi as well as in Thiruvananthapuram. No wonder some of the cadre thought that Shah was not satisfied how the party was functioning in Kerala. Shah, on his part, was trying to impress upon the local leaders that they have to go to the people, rather than hobnob with just the leaders of various sections of society.
Though Shah’s visit has energised the party at the grassroots level, it is too early to assess how much this will be reflected in the elections. But changes at the state level leadership may not happen in the immediate future, though many in the party feel the current president, Kummanam Rajasekharan is not very effective in confronting the Marxists. While the party national president is convinced that if the BJP wants to reap electoral benefits in Kerala, it has to win over Dalits and minorities, he did not elaborate on how to go about it. The party has not succeeded in attracting prominent personalities from different fields, nor has it succeeded in taking on board known names from the minorities or Dalit community. Shah is aware of this drawback and, hence, his emphasis on party workers, including top-level leaders, going out in the field, rather than organising routine dharnas and protests. He had a round of meetings with various Christian bishops, where politics, reportedly, was not on the agenda. He met the heads of Syro Malankara, Syro Malabar and Latin Catholic churches and discussed various issues being faced by them, especially the fishing community. He also had meetings with sanyasins belonging to various Hindu bodies. It was more a meeting to know each other, rather than discussing any current issues, especially the latest strictures on cattle trade. In fact, Shah at this meeting elaborated on the developmental assistance given by the Centre and challenged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to contest his claim. According to Shah, Kerala would receive Rs 98,912 crore as per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission. The state had received Rs 33, 368 crore as per the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission as its share from Central taxes.
The party has not succeeded in attracting prominent personalities from different fields, nor has it succeeded in taking on board known names from the minorities or Dalit community. Shah is aware of this drawback and, hence, his emphasis on party workers, including top-level leaders, going out in the field, rather than organising routine dharnas and protests.
Despite his warning to the state leadership that he has other states to concentrate than Kerala, Amit Shah exuded confidence in his party’s chances here. In fact, while laying the foundation stone for a new party office in Thiruvananthapuram, Shah said that he was laying the foundation stone for not only the building, but also the party that is going to come to power very soon in the state. For this he has planned a strategy to strengthen the party at the booth level. By August, party committees will be formed in all the 25,000 booths in the state. For this, 6,000 party workers will fan out in all these booths, working at least 15 days at a stretch in a month. By October, when Shah is scheduled to visit the state, the BJP will set up such booth committees in Kerala’s all 140 Assembly constituencies. He called upon the state leadership to concentrate on ground level work, more than addressing public meetings. This applies even to environmental campaigns, seen as a reference to state party president Kummanam Rajasekharan’s pet subject. “If we concentrate more on building up the party organisation, then we can gain more than our expectations,” he said. He assured them that the party had all the potential to defeat both the LDF and the UDF in Kerala and emerge victorious.
Significantly, Shah did not have a meeting with Kerala Congress leader, K.M. Mani, who is keeping an equal distance from both UDF and LDF. But insiders point out that though Shah could not meet Mani this time, his party is open for any sort of alliance with him. It is no more in the hands of the state leadership, as the final call on this will be taken only in Delhi. Shah’s meetings with Christian leaders are seen as a prelude to an electoral understanding with Mani, as and when the need arises. In the event of NDA emerging as a viable third force—which is considered a foregone conclusion in political circles in the state—Mani’s Kerala Congress will have no other option but to join hands with it. A much clearer picture will emerge by October, when Shah will come calling party workers to review BJP’s progress in this southern state, which is strategically important for the party’s present scheme of things.