Thiruvananthapuram, July 12 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday inaugurated the newly built Kerala BJP state committee office in the heart of the capital.

Named Mararji Bhavan in honour of late K.G. Marar, a popular former state BJP president, the swanky seven-storey building is equipped with modern amenities, including 13 suite rooms and several other facilities.

Shah arrived in Thiruvananthapuram late Friday night and visited the new office complex on Saturday morning. He hoisted the party flag, planted a sapling, and toured the building, which includes the office of newly appointed state BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

The land for the building was once home to the ancestral house of a former Congress Union Minister. It was later purchased by senior BJP leader P.P. Mukundan, known for his close ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the early years of the party’s rise.

Construction of the new office began during the tenure of former BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan.

The project had stirred controversy when it was revealed that the building would include a dedicated room for a future BJP Chief Minister of Kerala — despite the party’s limited electoral presence in the state. The BJP had won a single Assembly seat in 2016, which it lost in 2021.

However, the party gained renewed momentum after actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections, later joining the Union Cabinet.

Shah’s visit also comes a day after the Kerala BJP announced a major organisational reshuffle under the new leadership of Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

The revamped state committee reflects a blend of youth and experience to rejuvenate the party’s internal dynamics.

The immediate challenge before the new team is to make a strong impact in the upcoming local body elections, seen as a test of the party’s growing influence in the state.

After the inauguration, Shah is scheduled to address a public meeting at the Putharikandam Maidan, where nearly 30,000 party workers are expected to attend in person and another one lakh virtually.

He will then fly to Kannur to offer prayers at the Thaliparambu Rajarajeshwara temple, before returning to Delhi.

–IANS

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