Shashi Tharoor, senior Congress leader, branded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a peripheral player in Kerala politics on Thursday (March 19) asserting it lacks the clout to even emerge as a kingmaker in the April 9 Assembly elections for 140 seats. In an interview before hitting the campaign trail, the Thiruvananthapuram Member of Parliament framed the contest squarely as a bipolar battle between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), with BJP's gains limited to symbolic breakthroughs.
BJP's limited prospects: From zero to a handful of seats
"It's not a triangular contest- BJP is a zero-seat party in the Assembly," Tharoor remarked. "From zero to one, two, or three seats, they'll pat themselves on the back as a massive win." He ruled out BJP wielding post-poll influence, insisting the real showdown pits LDF against UDF without ambiguity.
Tight race demands vigilance, no complacency
Tharoor conceded current polls show a neck-and-neck UDF-LDF fight, making every vote pivotal. "We're not discounting BJP or getting complacent," he added, urging all-out effort despite viewing saffron forces as no threat to governance in Kerala.
BJP's vote share growth falls short of victory threshold
Over his 17 plus years in politics, Shashi Tharoor observed BJP's vote share climbing from 6 per cent to 12-13 per cent in state polls (peaking at 19 per cent in Lok Sabha races), yet insufficient for widespread wins. "You need at least 35 per cent in a constituency- only one or two spots in Kerala put them in striking distance," he argued, forecasting gradual rather than explosive progress.
LDF's rare back-to-back win, BJP's blank
In 2021, LDF under Pinarayi Vijayan secured a historic second term with 99 seats (up from 91), the first consecutive victory since 1977; UDF took 41 amid a slight vote share dip, while BJP drew a blank despite hype. BJP notched its maiden Lok Sabha seat in Thrissur via Suresh Gopi, but assembly fortunes lag. With results set for May 4, Tharoor's assessment underscores Kerala's entrenched bipolar politics.