Chandrasekhar's Shivaji vs Che Jibe Caps Kerala Poll Campaign

As Kerala’s high-stakes assembly election campaign concluded amid Kotikalsham festivities, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar fired a cultural-ideological broadside at the CPM via social media. His post highlighted a stark contrast in heroes: BJP revering Chhatrapati Shivaji, while Leftists look to foreign revolutionary Che Guevara. 'The campaign ends tonight with Kotikalsham,' Chandrasekhar wrote, layering tradition with politics. This comes at a pivotal time for BJP, striving to break the UDF-LDF stranglehold in the 140-seat assembly. Both fronts predict victory, but BJP eyes Nemom to rekindle its flame and position itself as a disruptive third pole. Nemom's lore is legendary for BJP. O. Rajagopal's 2016 triumph marked a historic entry, only for Sivankutty to snatch it back in 2021's intense three-way fight. With Sivankutty contesting again, tension runs high. Chandrasekhar's preemptive candidacy and relentless push portray Nemom as ground zero for saffron expansion. Party stats reflect promise: nine runner-up finishes in 2021, boosted parliamentary votes in 2024, minor local setback in 2025. Victory here could snowball, challenging decades of alternating UDF-LDF rule and heralding a multipolar era in Kerala politics.