In a bid to expand its grassroots presence and Christian outreach, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala has appointed three Christian leaders as district presidents. The restructuring, which involved splitting several districts into smaller organisational units, marks the party’s continued efforts to gain traction among Kerala’s Christian voters. The state’s Christian population amounts to around 19%.
As part of the reorganisation, the BJP has divided some of Kerala’s 14 districts into multiple units, creating a total of 30 organisational districts. Of these, 27 district presidents have been appointed while three more will be announced soon.
Christian outreach
The three Christian appointees—Justin Jacob (Thrissur City), Roy Chacko (Kottayam East), and VC Varghese (Idukki South)—come from districts with significant Christian populations, including areas such as Poonjar, Kanjirappally, Changanassery, and Puthuppally.
According to BJP sources, all three leaders have been longtime loyalists of the party, holding various positions at the district level and playing a key role in the party’s outreach programmes.
“They are close to the church community, which made it easier for them to bridge the gap between the party and the church. A number of Christian families have joined the BJP through their leadership. They were the ones who facilitated conversations between the party and the church,” a BJP leader told TNM.
Justin Jacob, who has been appointed as the Thrissur City district president, has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP for the last three decades.
Speaking to TNM, Justin said, “In Thrissur’s Christian-majority regions, there was a significant increase in BJP votes in the last general election. In Thrissur, Ollur, and Manalur, the party gained a good lead even in places where we did not have booth committees.”
BJP sources in Thrissur credit Justin for the party’s growing influence in the Christian community.
“He was the one who worked day and night. He has significant influence in the church and has been very active in outreach programmes. His sustained efforts over the years, beyond just election seasons, played a crucial role in the party’s success in the last election,” a BJP leader said.
However, Justin emphasised that his focus was not limited to the Christian community.
“We want all people who believe in nationalism to come together, whether it is Christians or Muslims… we are not looking at Christians alone,” he stated.
In Idukki, the BJP has built strong connections with the migrant farming Christian community, particularly within the Syro-Malabar Church.
“BJP has made strong inroads into the Syro-Malabar Christian community. We have strong connections in all Syro-Malabar dioceses except Ernakulam-Angamaly. VC Varghese in Idukki also led outreach programmes effectively, bringing many families into the party,” said a BJP leader.
Though the official stance of church leaders is to maintain equidistance from all political parties, there have been instances where Christian organisations have aligned with BJP ideologies.
Some groups, such as the Christian Association & Alliance for Social Action (CASA), have actively campaigned for the BJP during elections. While church leaders publicly dismiss these organisations as fringe elements, indirect support has been evident.
“Christians have remained quiet for years while Muslims have been taking over our rights. In that case, we need organisations like CASA. They have good connections with the church,” a priest from the Pala diocese told TNM.
The Kottayam East BJP unit, which covers Christian-dominated regions like Poonjar, Kanjirappally, Changanassery, and Puthuppally, has also witnessed a shift towards the party. These areas have already shown a leaning toward the Sangh Parivar, with previous reports highlighting the rise of Islamophobia within the Christian community here.
Structural expansion
As part of its restructuring, the BJP has divided districts such as Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, and Kozhikode into three organisational units each. Seven other districts have been split into two while Pathanamthitta, Wayanad, and Kasaragod have been retained as single units.
On Monday, January 27, the 27 newly appointed district presidents took charge. For the first time, four of the new appointees are women, marking a step towards greater gender representation in leadership roles in the party. The women district presidents are Niveditha Subramanian (Thrissur North), Deepa Puzhakkal (Malappuram West), Raji Prasad (Kollam East), and ML Aswini (Kasaragod).
Additionally, 14 members from the Christian community and 32 from Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe communities have been included in the party’s constituency committees, further reflecting the BJP’s attempt to broaden its support base in Kerala.