The last decade has observed the rise of Hindutva politics in the Indian political scenario, which is closely associated with the RSS and its political wing, i.e., the BJP. In the Northern and Western states of India, the ideological imprint of Hindutva has gradually become the principal force not only in electoral politics but also in the discourse.
The current trend shows that all states except Kerala established Kerala as their political outlier because its social path, its civil society structure, and its coalition politics create its unique political system. The last ten years of trends show that Kerala has become the final location that opposes the rise of Hindutva politics.
Historical context of Kerala’s political culture:
Historically, the political culture of Kerala has been influenced by the socialist reforms, left party politics, and secularism. In 1957, it was the first ever democratically elected government by the Communist Party under E. M. S. Namboodiri Pad. Since that time, Kerala has been ruled by 2 major competing political parties, i.e., UDF (united democratic front) and LDF (left democratic front), ruled by the communist (Marxist) Party of India.
Because of this bipolar politics, very difficult for the BJP to make its way there. The political landscape has its roots in the teachings of social reform thinkers, i.e., Sree Narayana Guru and Ayyankali, who spent their entire lives combating the caste system and fighting for equal social rights
The political scenario during the 2021 assembly elections in Kerala:
The BJP could not win even a single seat in the assembly election in 2021. The organization lost its already elected MLA seat from the Nemom assembly district. This is because, in the assembly election, the LDF won a historic victory by taking 99 seats out of the total 140 under the leadership of Vijayan Pinarayi. The results showed the end of the political situation that existed in Kerala, where the LDF and UDF alternated in ruling the state, which proved that the politics of Hindutva is not acceptable for Keralites, and the people of Kerala expressed their preference for governance issues, which included health, education, and social welfare, instead of religious or political issues.
Emerging changes in Local Body Elections
A change in the triangular character of political contestation was indicated by the presence of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, which has made significant inroads in certain municipalities and even became the single largest front in the Thiruvananthapuram city corporation in the recent local body elections.
This indicates the BJP’s expansion of organizational and ideological space in the state, in spite of the stiff opposition to Hindutva politics from Keralites. Political analyst argue that organizations have been able to steadily gain influence even in a region that has been dominated by the Left because of the expansion of their local and cultural organizations.
Social and Cultural Opposition
The broader social context in Kerala still provides strong opposition to the consolidation of Hindutva politics in spite of these developments. Kerala’s citizens is diverse in terms of religion, with sizable populations of Christians, Muslims, and Hindus. Coalition politics and multireligious cohabitation have long been features of state politics.
Furthermore, Kerala’s high literacy rates and lively public discourse frequently result in politically aware citizens who critically analyze ideological discourses. A culture of debate rather than ideological coagulation is also produced by the existence of trade unions, student institutions, and civil society organizations.
Scholarly studies also indicate that these nationalist groups have been trying to promote a “Hindu public sphere” through cultural politics and grassroots mobilization. Yet, the domination of political culture in Kerala has not yet been achieved with such initiatives for Hindutva politics on a grand scale.
Is Kerala the Last Stronghold for BJP’s Hindutva Politics?
Kerala appears to be one of the strongest obstacles to the Hindutva politics of the BJP in India. The electoral facts that are available from the 2021 Assembly Election and the 2024 Parliament Election clearly show how Kerala has limited the BJP and its ideological allies. The existence of left politics, social reform politics, and an accountable governance system with politically conscious citizens has all added up to a political culture that is resistant to religious polarization.
With 27 million voters eligible to vote, the upcoming elections in April 2026 are an important indicator to consider the Hindutva politics of BJP.
This situation does not always occur in the expected way. The teaching victory that the BJP achieved in the 2024 parliament election, together with their results from the local body election, demonstrated that Hindutva is progressively starting to establish itself in Kerala.
The changing political scenario shows that this is no longer the case. The future of politics in Kerala is likely to depend on whether the state’s long-standing politics of secularism, social justice, and discourses are capable of continuing to resist the ideological incursion of majoritarian politics in the years to come.
