Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 3 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to visit Thiruvananthapuram to participate in celebrations marking the Bharatiya Janata Party's historic victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, a milestone achievement for the party in Kerala's political landscape.
The visit assumes added significance as it comes amid earlier indications that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also visit the state capital, with HM Shah scheduled to arrive ahead of the Prime Minister.
According to BJP sources, the Union Home Minister will reach Thiruvananthapuram on January 11.
During the visit, he is expected to officially announce the date of Prime Minister Modi's proposed visit to the city.
The Home Minister will meet all BJP representatives who emerged victorious in the recently concluded local body elections and will address them at a special gathering, acknowledging their role in securing the party’s breakthrough win.
The BJP is planning to convert HM Shah's visit into a major political and organisational event.
A large-scale conference is being organised in Thiruvananthapuram, which will be attended by elected local representatives, senior party leaders, and office-bearers from across the state.
The event is expected to serve both as a celebration of the electoral success and as a platform to chart the party's future course in Kerala.
Last month, the BJP wrote into the record books by winning the reins of administration at the capital city Corporation by winning 50 seats in the 101-ward corporation.
The BJP has now got the support of one independent councillor, while the election to one ward, which was postponed, will be held on January 12, and hence the visit of HM Shah assumes added significance.
Party workers and leaders have described the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation victory as a decisive moment in the BJP's gradual political expansion in the state, particularly in urban local bodies.
The arrival of HM Shah, who also holds the Cooperation portfolio, is being viewed as a strong endorsement from the central leadership and a morale booster for the state unit.
The state BJP leadership is keen to ensure that the Home Minister's visit reflects the scale and importance of the achievement.
Preparations are underway to give HM Shah a warm reception and to turn the programme into a high-profile political celebration.
With both HM Shah's visit and the anticipated visit of Prime Minister Modi, the BJP appears intent on building momentum from its local body success and projecting confidence about its growing footprint in the state's politics.
--IANS
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