New Delhi [India], January 21 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday accused the Congress of nepotism, hitting back at criticism over the appointment of Nitin Nabin as the BJP's youngest National President.
Speaking to ANI, Javadekar said that he doesn't feel the need to address Congress's criticism, as they find people for different positions "within a single family."
"The Congress doesn't have to look for people; they find them within a single family. Therefore, there is no need to respond to their comments," he said.
Meanwhile, Nitin Nabin assumed the charge as the 12th and youngest national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday. Following this, Congress MP Manickam Tagore alleged that the BJP lacks internal democracy and is run in an authoritative manner. He claimed that key decisions in the BJP are taken only by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Javadekar also reflected on the BJP's landmark victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which had been under Communist control for 45 years. "The point is, we have won the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in Kerala, which was under the control of the Communists for 45 years... The atmosphere in Kerala is changing..." he said.
Last month, the BJP-led NDA made history in securing control of the corporation and ending the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) 40-year rule.
He further expressed his confidence in the BJP's victory in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly elections, asserting that the party will achieve its goals in the next 80 days with collaborative efforts.
"We are all working together, and I am fully confident that this time we will get tremendous support from all sections of society. The time has come for Kerala to change, and we will achieve this goal in the next 80 days," he emphasised.
Earlier in the month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would win the upcoming Kerala elections. Reflecting on the BJP's landmark victory in Thiruvananthapuram, Shah affirmed that "any party that crosses the 20% threshold doesn't take 5 years to reach 40%."
Shah, addressing the 'New India, New Kerala' conclave organised by Kerala Kaumudi on Sunday, highlighted the NDA government's performance in the Lok Sabha elections and claimed that the party, from its 20 per cent vote share in the 2024 election, will jump to 40 per cent in 2026.
"When I say that the next government in Kerala will be an NDA government, a BJP government, it's very natural for you to have doubts... I've been a student of electoral statistics since I was 15... In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP got 11% of the vote in Kerala. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA got 16% of the vote in Kerala. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, we have reached 20%. There's a history in democratic politics across the country that any party that crosses the 20% threshold doesn't take 5 years to reach 40%; it jumps from 20 to 40," Shah noted.
Shah further emphasised the victory of the BJP in thirty Gram Panchayats, two municipalities, and the mayor, dedicating it to the sacrifice of the party workers.
"This change in Kerala is not limited to the cities alone. We have won 30 Gram Panchayats, two municipalities, and our mayor is currently serving Thiruvananthapuram... Today, with great humility, on behalf of the BJP, I want to dedicate our victory to the hundreds of party workers who have served time in jail and to their families," he stated.
This comes as the state prepares for its Legislative Assembly elections, expected to be held in April 2026 to elect 140 members of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.