The lone BJP minister from Kerala, V Muraleedharan, has been appointed as the Minister of State for External Affairs; and for Parliamentary Affairs in the second Narendra Modi government.
Though the BJP had not won not a single seat in Kerala, the party chose its Rajya Sabha MP Muraleedharan to the council of ministers and has made him a junior minister in a plum portfolio like External Affairs. The party’s decision has strengthened the speculation that the BJP has bigger plans to grow the party in Kerala, where it failed to make a huge impact despite the fierce campaign based on the issue of allowing women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple.
Muraleedharan, a senior leader of the party in the state is believed have Prime Minister Narendra Modi's confidence. A leader with a clean image among the party rank and file, the portfolio allotment to Muraleedharan is also meant to boost the party cadre in the state.
Muraleedharan will serve as the 3rd BJP minister from the state after O Rajagopal and Alphons Kannanthanam. Rajagopal had held various portfolios in the Atal Bihari Vaypayee government as a Minister of State. The senior most leader of the party in the state is at present is the lone MLA of the party representing Nemom constituency in the Assembly.
Muraleedharan is a Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra. Muraleedharan was elected as a Rajya Sabha MP on April 3, 2018, and was on the Standing Committee for External Affairs.
He has been the All India General Secretary of the BJP and has for long participated in the party affairs in Delhi.
The BJP’s vote share increased from 10.8 in 2014 to just 12.9 percent in 2019. Even in Thiruvananthapuram, though BJP fielded Kummanam Rajasekharan, the former state president, by asking him to step down from the post of Mizoram governor, they could come only in second position.