Ummer Farook, a 45-year-old man from Panoor in Kannur,  made two decisions this month - to leave the Muslim League and join the BJP. Personally, the move cost him dearly. His wife, Sameera, said she wanted to stay away for a while and moved to her house.

His son doesn't talk to him anymore. His daughter has been kind to him, though. Farook has been a League activist for 30 years. Now, posters show a pleasant-faced Ummer with coiffed hair set against a swirl of saffron and a lotus in the foreground. He is the BJP's official candidate for ward 16, Pullukkara, in Panoor municipality.

Panoor is not far from Palathayi, where a POCSO case verdict against a BJP leader K Padmakumar rattled the party as the election campaign gained momentum. Ummer's candidacy in a municipality dominated by the Muslim League adds a new dimension to the BJP Kerala unit's zealous pitch for a secular agenda in this panchayat elections and for the 2026 assembly polls.

Ummer's candidacy, though not a direct result of the party's Muslim outreach programme, as admitted by the BJP's Kannur leadership, still augurs well for the party's broader targets set ahead of elections. BJP also supports a former CPM man, Ashraf Pookom, in ward 38 of Panoor. "Ummer came to us, we had a talk and fielded him as the candidate. It's a sign that minority communities believe in our agenda for development," said BJP Kannur South District president Biju Elakkuzhi.

Ummer almost echoes the party leader. "I felt the time has come for me to identify with the BJP. I still do my namaaz. I studied the party for one year. There is a need for development. I have had my personal setbacks, but in the long run, it will be fine," Ummer said, referring to tension in his family.

Across Kerala, the BJP claims it has fielded more Christian candidates than any other party that traditionally banked on Christian votes. "On average, 25-30 per cent of candidates in a district across various local bodies are Christians. The Catholics have not been affected by what happens in North India, where the Congress and the CPM spin tales to suit their interests," said BJP state vice president Shaun George.

BJP talks development to bag the secular tag in Kerala. In districts like Kottayam, there are over 100 Christian candidates across panchayats and civic bodies. Kottayam municipality alone has seven Christian candidates, including former Congress member and ex-chairperson Reeba Varkey. She had been elected to the municipality in 2000 and 2005 as a Congress councillor.

In 2014, she joined the BJP and is currently a state committee member. "I used to be BJP's lone Christian face here; it came with a lot of opposition. In 2020, I won elections as a BJP candidate, mostly with votes from the Church community. The acceptance has increased phenomenally," says Varkey, who contests from the Collectorate ward.

The sheer number of non-Hindu candidates may not produce quick results, BJP leaders acknowledge. "We are in the process of establishing a connection with various purposes. There aren't any youths here, they go out to study and work. Our mission is very clear, to cut across communities and propagate development," said BJP Kottayam president G Lijinlal. A leader said that in panchayats like Vakathanam, a Christian candidate has been fielded for the first time, and the party is confident about a win.

In the Idukki district panchayat, the BJP had fielded Christian candidates in Vagamon, Karimkunnam and Nedumkandam. "In addition, we have devoted 20 per cent of our seats for Christians in other local bodies," said BJP Idukki South Zone District President V C Varghese.

The party takes calculated steps in fielding new faces with non-Hindu identities in places like Kannur and Guruvayur. Raziya KP, who calls herself an active BJP worker, will debut in the polls in Kannur corporation in ward 55. "I have been inspired by Modiji. This is my first test in elections," she said. In Guruvayur municipality, where the BJP currently has two councillors, the party has deputed Shaji Kurian from ward 14.

"We are contesting in all 46 seats. Shaji is our Christian face in Guruvayur civic body polls. The place has benefited hugely from the centre's Prashad scheme (which aims at promoting religious tourism). Beyond that development is lacking, we plan to address that," said BJP Guruvayur Mandalam Committee president Anil.

BJP Kannur South president K K Vinod Kumar said that the selection of candidates was a months-long process screened and vetted by the ward-level committees. The preparation started from picking district office bearers who coordinated with Minority Morcha leaders to select the right candidates.

The narrative runs on a common thread of development. In Thiruvananthapuram, where the BJP bets big on bagging power, there are six Christian candidates. Anju Jackson, who contests from Poonthura, is the daughter of former KC(M) member Ajayakumar. She converted to Christianity after marriage. "I am a huge fan of Modi. My father didn't support my decision initially. Now they (her family) all root for me. The youth wants development, which the BJP can deliver," Anju said.

BJP had toyed with gaining a secular identity earlier as well, but not with as much zeal as it does now. In 2015, S N Nazila, was the Muslim BJP candidate at Puthenpally ward in Thiruvananthapuram corporation. Film director Ali Akbar, who is now known as Ramasimhan Aboobakker, was the Muslim BJP candidate at Areekada ward for Kozhikode corporation election in 2015.

A party sympathiser who did not want to be named said there is a sense of untouchability about the BJP in Kerala.  "The party wants to bust that image. Also, this is a long-term strategy aimed at assembly polls. Besides, the party targets secular voters across other religions who may want to rethink about the BJP," he said.

In the past few weeks, the BJP has been able to bring to its fold discordant leaders from other parties. This gives a lot of thrust to party's appeal to the voters, leaders said. Youth Congress state secretary Akhil Omanakuttan, Kochi RSP councillor Sunitha Dixon, JD(S) member Rajeswari in Palakkad, Congress member Rajeena in Marayur found their way to the BJP.

It hasn't been all too rosy for the BJP  either. The party faces allegations of foul play as it has not fielded candidates in 48 wards in 11 panchayats in Palakkad. It has been accused of an unholy alliance with the UDF in Vadakkal ward in Alappuzha municipality, Thiruvizha division in Kanjikuzhy block, and a few wards in Cherthala municipality and Thykattusery block panchayat.

BJP Kerala vice president K S Radhakrishnan rubbishes these allegations. "These are wild claims and as regards the party's outreach programme, there is only one objective. As a party, BJP stands for all and wants to ensure developmental benefits to everyone," he said. He added that it is not easy to find candidates in over 23,000 wards, and wild allegations of unholy nexus should be ignored.

With its mix of development and secularism, the BJP would want to improve its vote share significantly from 2020. In municipalities, the party had above 20 per cent  vote share in 16 civic bodies and 30 per cent or above in four municipalities. As for corporations, the BJP recorded the highest vote share among all parties in Thiruvananthapuram with 30.46 per cent in 2020. It crossed 20 per cent in Kollam and Kozhikode in the previous elections.