• Source:JND
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The BJP on Tuesday released an election manifesto for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections containing many proposals for how the state could develop economically and create strong infrastructure for the citizens of Kerala, now Keralam, and to provide assistance to the people of Kerala through welfare programs.

BJP leaders who released and subsequently spoke about the manifesto included Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Nitin Nabin. Their vision is for Kerala to become a global leader in tourism by implementing the development of major urban centres and converting them into vertically integrated city-based economic centres.

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The cities that have been identified in the manifesto that will become the major economic centres are: 

  • Thiruvananthapuram-IT and Innovation Hub
  • Kochi-Shipbuilding Hub
  • Kozhikode-Medical Innovation and Health Hub
  • Thrissur-Cultural Tourism Hub
  • Kollam-Blue Economy Hub (Marine Exports)
  • Kannur-Defence Innovation Hub.

These city-based developments by the party are anticipated to create numerous employment opportunities in Kerala.

In addition to job creation, the BJP's manifesto also promised a “Bhakshya Arogya Suraksha” card to women from economically disadvantaged households in the state, which would provide the woman with Rs 2,500 per month to purchase medicines and groceries. Other welfare-related initiatives proposed by the party include the establishment of an AIIMS in Kerala and the development of a high-speed rail corridor between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur.

The other promises made as per the manifesto of the party include that every poor household in Kerala will be provided with 2 free cylinders of LPG per year, one during the festival of Onam and the other during Christmas, and that every household in the state will be supplied with 20,000 litres of free water every month. The manifesto also promises to make changes in the way key religious institutions (the Devaswom Boards) are managed (for example, the Sabarimala Temple and Guruvayur Temple). With respect to the issue of the Mullaperiyar Dam, it was agreed that both Tamil Nadu's water requirements and the rights of the people of Kerala would be protected.

In a statement earlier today, Nabin said that the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front have engaged in "game-fixing" politics by trading places from power to the opposition throughout their time working together.

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"This time, the BJP will make the lotus bloom in Keralam. The kind of support we are receiving from the people here, having moved from 2 per cent vote share to 20 per cent, shows our progress. Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, what was once just 'Kerala' now aspires to move forward as a 'developed Keralam'," ANI quoted Nitin Nabin.

As per the current schedule, the 2026 Assembly Elections in Kerala are to be held on April 9, 2026, and vote counting will take place on May 4, 2026. The present Legislative Assembly will dissolve on May 23, 2026.

The UDF, which has been led by Congress, is seeking to oust the existing LDF (which has been in office for almost ten years). There are an estimated 2.7 crore voters in the upcoming election. As of February 21, when the final election register was completed, more than 2.69 crore residents of the state were registered to vote, 4.24 lakh of whom will be able to do so for the first time at 18 or older.


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