Thiruvananthapuram, July 11 (UNI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Kerala today for a two-day visit ahead of preparations for the upcoming local body elections in the state.
The BJP leader, who is expected to land in Thiruvananthapuram around 10 pm, will attend two events in the city on July 12 before heading to Kannur to visit the Rajarajeswara Temple in Taliparamba.
He will inaugurate the BJP state office and participate in a public function at Putharikandam Maidan, where he will address ward-level workers from the southern districts on July 12.
As part of the run-up to the local body elections, Amit Shah will announce ‘Kerala Mission 2025’ at the BJP ward representatives’ meeting. This will mark the official launch of the BJP’s organisational-level campaign aimed at expanding its grassroots presence ahead of the polls.
Around 5,000 ward representatives from Alappuzha, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Thiruvananthapuram are expected to attend the convention. Ward-level representatives from the remaining 10 districts will join the meeting virtually.
Interestingly, the participants in this meeting are not the regular BJP ward officials. Following the appointment of Rajeev Chandrasekhar as the state president, five specially selected members from each ward – called the ‘Vikasit Team’ – will represent the party at the event.
Currently, the BJP has organisational presence in approximately 17,900 wards across Kerala. The party has set an ambitious target of winning in 10,000 of these wards. As of now, the BJP has secured victories in about 1,650 wards. Additionally, the party is aiming to gain control in 10 municipalities, as well as in the Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur municipal corporations.
After completing his engagements in Thiruvananthapuram, Amit Shah is scheduled to depart around 4 pm. On his way back, he will land in Kannur to visit the Rajarajeswara Temple in Taliparamba before returning to Delhi later that night.
Just last week, the temple witnessed the unveiling of the country’s largest bronze Shiva idol – a 14-foot-tall sculpture weighing 4,200 kilograms – by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
Amit Shah’s upcoming visit follows his previous visit to the Rajarajeswara Temple in 2017, when he was serving as the BJP national president. During that visit, he performed the temple’s chief ritual offering, the Golden Pot (Suvarna Kumbham), during his darshan.
