Kochi | Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting with the BJP's Kerala leaders on Friday, in which he outlined a roadmap for the upcoming local body elections, which are seen as crucial for the party ahead of next year's Assembly polls.
The meeting was attended by senior leaders, including Union ministers Suresh Gopi and George Kurian, as well as state party chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Shah suggested that the party contest the elections by highlighting its development-focused agenda before the people.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, BJP state general secretary M T Ramesh said the party would present a comprehensive development agenda to the public.
"The only solution to Kerala's developmental crisis, economic crisis and lapses in the state's security apparatus is the formation of a government led by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2026," Ramesh said.
Shah also unveiled a roadmap positioning the 2025 local body elections as the first step towards that larger goal, he added.
"There are no shortcuts to victory. Only hard work at the grassroots can deliver success. This is the message given to us by Amit Shah ji," Ramesh said.
According to him, Shah also presented a 21-point action plan, making it clear that the BJP’s victory would be achieved through people-centred work.
He said the 21-point programme was designed to address the holistic development of the people of Kerala.
As decided in the meeting, regional workshops to discuss development agendas will be held from 26 August to 2 September across Kerala, Ramesh said.
By 30 September, ward-level implementation plans will be finalised.
Similarly, people's conventions will be organised in September and October, along with public forums to discuss local issues, and development-focused ward-level campaigns will also be conducted, Ramesh said.
He alleged that successive LDF and UDF governments had shown "criminal negligence" in ensuring Kerala's internal security, despite repeated warnings from central agencies.
According to Ramesh, even after the ban on the radical Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), its sleeper cells continued to operate under other names, as reported multiple times by central intelligence agencies and even acknowledged by the new state police chief.
He claimed that terrorist activities were being carried out under the banner of the SDPI and other organisations.
"Despite warnings from the Centre, no action has been taken. Anti-national forces are also attempting to use Kerala's coastal regions as bases, yet the state government refuses to intervene," Ramesh said.
