Amit Shah to inaugurate BJP state office in Kerala, launches local poll campaign

Thiruvananthapuram | Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive here late Friday night to inaugurate the new BJP State Committee Office and launch the party's campaign for the upcoming local body elections.

Shah is expected to land at Thiruvananthapuram airport around 10 pm, where he will be received by BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and other senior leaders, an official statement said.

The formal inauguration of the state office will take place at 11 am on Saturday.

Shah will hoist the party flag, plant a sapling in front of the building, and light a traditional lamp after entering the premises.

He will also cut a ribbon to mark the official opening of the new office.

As part of the ceremony, Shah will unveil a bronze half-bust of late former BJP state president K G Marar, which has been installed in the central hall of the new building, party said in a statement here.

The inauguration will be followed by a large ward-level leadership meeting at Putharikandam Maidan at 11.30 am, which the Union Minister will also inaugurate.

Around 25,000 grassroots leaders from 5,000 ward committees in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha revenue districts are expected to attend the event in person, the statement added.

In addition, party workers from the remaining 10 revenue districts—including five-member ward committees and local leaders—will join virtually from centres across panchayat areas.

In total, the BJP expects around 1.5 lakh people to participate in the event online, the statement further said.

Later in the afternoon, Shah will take part in a closed-door BJP state leadership meeting, where discussions will focus on preparations for the upcoming local body elections in Kerala.

Chandrasekhar said Saturday's leadership gathering marks the formal start of the party's campaign for the local body polls.

He added that the people of Kerala are seeking change and that the BJP will work to bring attention to what he called the state government's continued neglect, especially in the health and education sectors.

Shah is expected to leave Thiruvananthapuram by 4 pm for Kannur, where he will visit the famous Rajarajeshwara Temple in Taliparamba before returning to Delhi, the statement added.