The BJP’s election campaign in Kerala’s Guruvayur Assembly constituency has taken on a sharper Hindutva pitch, even as the party elsewhere in the state continues to highlight Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development plank.
Guruvayur is home to the famed Sree Krishna Temple that attracts pilgrims from across the country. BJP candidate and the party’s state-vice-president B Gopalakrishnan sparked a controversy with remarks that the constituency “requires a Hindu MLA” and that the “soil of Hindus should be regained”.
Launching his campaign, Gopalakrishnan last week said, “Ayodhya has been regained. This battle is to regain the soil of Guruvayurappan (Lord Krishna).” His remarks drew strong criticism from the Opposition, which have accused him of attempting to polarise voters along religious lines in a state known for its communal harmony.
The remarks have also triggered legal action. Last week, police registered a case against Gopalakrishnan over his statement that the constituency had not had a Hindu legislator for the past five decades. The action followed a complaint alleging violation of Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, which bars appeals to religion in elections, as well as provisions of the Model Code of Conduct.
The BJP’s Hindutva-focused campaign in Guruvayur has gained further attention as the party ceded the Ranni Assembly seat — home to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple — to its ally Twenty20, backed by the KITEX group, which has fielded Thomas K Samuel.
The Guruvayur Assembly segment falls within the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency that elected Kerala’s first BJP MP – Suresh Gopi – in 2024. However, Gopi, now a Union Minister of State, had finished third in Guruvayur in terms of vote share, securing 45,049 votes against Congress leader K Muraleedharan’s 57,925.
From 1977 to 2021, the constituency was represented by MLAs from the Muslim community. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) held the seat from 1977 to 2001, while since 2006 the CPI(M) has been winning it. Sitting MLA N K Akbar is seeking re-election, while the IUML has fielded C H Rasheed.
The BJP campaign
Gopalakrishnan’s campaign revolves around two themes: alleged lack of infrastructure and a call to counter what he describes as “Islamic extremism”. He has also referred to the 1977 murder of a Hindu man in the region. “My fight is for their souls and to regain the soil of Guruvayur for the faithful,” he said in a Facebook post.
On Friday, he said, “Guruvayur is an international pilgrimage centre. The MLA should have a genuine interest in temple development. There is a lack of basic infrastructure, and even access to drinking water is inadequate. Since 1978, religious extremism has taken deep roots here.”
The Kerala High Court, while hearing a plea filed by KSU leader Gokul K challenging the candidate’s remarks, on Friday directed the Election Commission (EC) to consider the complaint within two months. The court also reiterated that invoking religion in election campaigns runs contrary to the secular ethos of the Constitution and may fall foul of provisions governing corrupt practices.
Sources in the BJP said the campaign has energised sections of Hindu voters. “The temple town has several residential apartments owned by Hindus. The BJP has ensured that they are enrolled in the voters’ list,” a source said. Hindus account for around half the constituency’s population.
The campaign has also revived memories of past incidents of violence along the coastal belt. Following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, the region witnessed sporadic extremist activity. In December 1994, a 19-year-old RSS worker, Sunil from Thozhiyur, was killed by members of a radical outfit. The group’s role in multiple killings in the Guruvayur-Chavakkad region came to light only years later.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the BJP leader’s statement was an attempt to create hatred for other religions, seen in certain other parts of the country. “But our land is secular. Here, MLAs are elected with the support of people from different communities. The approach that only a person belonging to a particular community should contest in a specific seat is divisive and promotes separatism.
LDF MLAs in the constituency have been acceptable to all sections of people,’’ he said.
Sitting legislator N K Akbar of the CPI(M) had earlier served as the chairperson of Chavakkad municipality. After Gopalakrishnan’s controversial comment hogged attention, he shared a video in which he was seen in front of the temple gate. He also visited the office of the Guruvayur temple board. IUML state vice president C H Rasheed is the UDF candidate, and on Sunday, temple musician Njeralathu Harigovindan, who joined the party last week, inaugurated his campaign.