Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 8 Political defections are hardly new to Kerala, but what has drawn sharper attention this time is that the churn is no longer confined to elected representatives or party functionaries.
Media professionals and familiar television debaters -- long perceived as ideological fellow travellers -- are also beginning to cross over, blurring the line between political commentary and active politics.
The latest and most striking example is Reji Lukose, a regular face on Malayalam television debates and widely regarded as a Left-leaning voice.
Lukose formally joined the BJP on Thursday at the party’s state headquarters, where he was inducted by state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
His move has sparked discussion not merely because of the party he joined, but because it underlines a broader shift in Kerala’s political ecosystem, where opinion-makers themselves are stepping into partisan roles.
Explaining his decision, Lukose said politics driven by “decayed ideas” no longer holds relevance in Kerala and that he finds hope in the BJP’s development-oriented vision.
He argued that, ideologically, the state is not in a phase that calls for political warfare. With large numbers of young people leaving Kerala in search of opportunities, he warned that the state risks turning into an ageing society if the trend continues.
Development, rather than ideological rigidity, he said, is what Kerala now needs, making it clear that he would hereafter speak and work only for the BJP.
The CPI(M) was quick to distance itself, with its Kottayam district committee stating that Lukose (hails from Kottayam) was never part of any party structure.
It maintained that he had earlier been cautioned against projecting himself as a Left fellow traveller in television discussions, adding that the label was largely media-generated.
This shift from Lukose was on the cards when he was seen taking positions at odds with the normally CPI(M) line on some issues, which were on the discussion board.
As election season approaches, Lukose’s switch underscores a larger reality: in Kerala’s hyper-politicised public sphere, even those who once shaped political narratives from television studios are no longer immune to the pull of formal party politics.
Welcoming Lukose, the Kerala BJP posted on X that senior leader Regi Lukose, who was the face of the CPI(M) in Kerala politics, has joined the party at a ceremony held at the state office. "Rejecting the Left politics that relies solely on developmental stagnation and appeasement politics, it is the influence of the concept of 'Vikasita Keralam' put forward by state president Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar that has brought him to the BJP," said the party.
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