Kerala BJP signals generational shift with boost for women, Christian and SC/ST representation in leadership

BJP Kerala unit undergoes generational change with increased representation of women, youth, and diverse communities in leadership roles.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Kerala unit has signalled a generational change in leadership with a higher representation of women, youth, Christians, Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) and backward-class communities in top organisational posts from the booth level and upwards.

At a press conference in Thrissur on Monday (January 27, 2025), BJP State president K. Surendran said the party’s nominees for district and booth committee presidents trended towards a younger demographic. Mr. Surendran said the BJP would also have Muslims in leadership positions.

However, he refused to hazard a guess on whether he would step down as BJP’s State president. Mr. Surendran averred that the State president’s selection was “the national leadership’s prerogative.”

“The CPI(M) and the Congress have a moribund and geriatric leadership that refuses to budge from power. In contrast, the BJP welcomes generational shifts, and leadership change is inevitable in a dynamic and constantly evolving political organisation”, he added.

Mr. Surendran dismissed media reports that the BJP’s Kerala unit was riven with factionalism. “The Muraleedharan group, Sobha Surendran group and P.K. Krishnadas faction are figments of feverish media imagination”, he added. 

Mr. Surendran appeared confident that the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), the SNDP Yogam’s political front, would remain in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) despite the predominantly backward-class party’s Kottayam district committee passing a resolution against continuing in the national alliance.

 “The BDJS has an ideological empathy with the NDA. Moreover, BDJS leader Thushar Vellappally (SNDP Yogam vice-president) has made no such decision”, he added.