Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, addressed a gathering—'Sthree Shakthi Modikk Oppam.' –which saw around two lakh women in attendance at Thrissur's Thekkinkadu Maidan. Organised by the Kerala unit of the BJP, this gathering—preceded by a roadshow—gives some clear signs about the strategies the BJP is considering for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Kerala.
VIP constituency
Kerala has never elected a BJP candidate to Lok Sabha. The BJP central leadership is apparently eager to break this jinx in the upcoming elections. However, there is a clear indication that the party is not over-ambitious. Instead, the approach is to concentrate on an exclusive set of seats. And, in that list, Thrissur appears on top.
The election dates have not been announced and no party has declared any candidates. But the BJP workers in Thrissur sprung a “surprise” when they decided to draw a wall graffiti seeking votes for actor-turned-politician and former Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi.
Gopi had been the BJP candidate from Thrissur in the 2019 general elections and 2021 assembly elections, but failed to make a clear impact both times. However, it has been apparent for a long time now that the BJP has plans to field him once again in Thrissur. The former superstar of Mollywood has been concentrating on the constituency since 2019.
Nonetheless, it had been a surprise for the local leadership in Thrissur to see Gopi's candidature announced through a wall graffiti. It is clear that the central and state leadership were in on this as Gopi and BJP state president K. Surendran were with Modi in his vehicle during the roadshow. Besides, while addressing the Mahila conference, senior BJP leader Sobha Surendran dropped a hint about Gopi's candidature from Thrissur. The message is loud and clear: The BJP has no confusion about this seat they are eyeing, and they are looking forward to grabbing some early-bird advantage there.
The gender factor
The question of why the BJP central leadership and PM Modi chose to launch their election campaign in Kerala, indirectly introducing their star candidate Gopi through a women's conference in Thrissur, warrants thoughtful consideration. The party seems to have realized that women voters are going to decide Gopi’s fate.
In 2019, Thrissur had 13,37,110 voters—4,88,619 males and 5,51,694 females. The total voter turnout last time was 77.94 per cent. The female voter turnout (79.55 per cent) has been significantly more than the male voter turnout (75.92 per cent). Notably, the female voter turnout in this constituency has been higher than the average female voter turnout in the state (78.78 per cent) as well. The overall female voter turnout is higher than the male voter turnout in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being presented a memento during the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony of various developmental projects, in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep | PTI
Wednesday's event was a foreshadowing of sorts—that the BJP is planning to appeal to women more than men. At Thekkinkadu Maidan, Modi attacked both the LDF and the UDF for “ignoring the power of women”.
A nuanced script
Wednesday's conference was billed as a reception for the PM following the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament. This bill was passed during a special session in Parliament in September 2023. One may wonder why there has been such a delay to “congratulate” the prime minister. But Modi’s speech at the event gives a clear indication that he intended to be congratulated and speak directly to Kerala women about his female-focused initiatives.
Modi started his speech in Malayalam, addressing women—“Keralathile ente Ammamare, Sahodarimare (Mothers and sisters in Kerala).” He then listed a series of women-centric initiatives his government introduced in the last decade, from the Ujjwala scheme to the Suvidha scheme. Modi recalled the contributions of Malayali women activists like A.V. Kuttimalu, Rosamma Ponnoose and Accamma Cherian, and praised tribal singer Nanjiyamma. He also appealed to religious sentiments.
Meanwhile, the BJP leadership roped in several prominent women from the state, including Sobhana and P.T. Usha, to be on stage with PM Modi. Notably, the Sobhana-Suresh Gopi reel pair, known for delivering some memorable films in the 1990s, holds an enduring place in the Malayali psyche. In 2020, Gopi made a comeback to Malayalam cinema, with the film Varane Aavashyamund, in which he was again paired opposite Shobhana after a gap of 15 years. It wouldn't be totally unfounded if one wonders whether the BJP's strategy involves tapping into the nostalgia of Malayalis by reuniting Sobhana and Suresh Gopi on (saffron) stage.
The BJP state leadership also succeeded in getting Mariyakutty (86), who recently emerged as an “aam aadmi foe” against Pinarayi Vijayan and his LDF government, on stage. Mariyakutty came into public attention when she staged a 'begging bowl' protest raising the issue of arrears in welfare pension, and the CPI(M) mouthpiece attacked her with a fake story. That the saffron party managed to woo Mariyakutty, who initially professed her “pro-Congress” stance, and who always stuck to her attire of Chatta and Mundu (traditional wear of Christian women in Kerala) indicates that the party is sparing no effort to make an electoral mark in the southern state.
Thrissur is a place that has a significant Christian population. By bringing Mariyakutty to the event, and making her speak in favour of Gopi, the BJP is appealing to the swing voters as well as the Christian vote bank in Thrissur.
Ultimately, one should also consider this entire event in light of Suresh Gopi facing a sexual harassment case filed by a woman reporter from a TV channel. On October 28, the Kozhikode city police registered a case against Gopi under Section 354 A (sexual harassment of a nature involving unwelcome physical contact and explicit sexual overtures) following a complaint from the journalist, who alleged that he behaved inappropriately with her during a media interaction. The controversy arose when Gopi placed his hand on the journalist's shoulder twice without her consent at a hotel in Kozhikode. Subsequently, Gopi issued an apology on Facebook, stating that he interacted with the journalist with fatherly affection, but this apology letter attracted significant criticism.
The BJP leadership dismissed the case as political harassment by the Pinarayi Vijayan government and extended full support to the actor. Interestingly, when he was summoned for questioning by police, Gopi went to the Nadakkavu police station in a cinematic fashion. BJP state president K. Surendran, other senior leaders and a slew of party workers accompanied him in the padayatra to the police station expressing their solidarity. Now, by announcing Gopi's candidacy in Thrissur through a women's conference in the presence of PM Modi, the state leadership is unambiguously reaffirming its support for Gopi in this case, and also explicitly conveying to the general public, particularly the female electorate, that he is guileless.
