The release of the two Catholic nuns after nine days of imprisonment in Chhattisgarh has come as a relief for both the Church and the Kerala unit of the BJP.
The incident had snowballed into a political storm in Kerala with the Left parties, Congress, and various associations mounting strong campaigns against BJP. Now, after the release of the nuns on bail with the active support of the BJP, many are now asking whether the BJP emerged as the net gainer from this episode
The two nuns and their associate were arrested on serious non-bailable charges. The arrests triggered a strong reaction from the Christian community in Kerala, with public protests and demands for justice. The arrest has snowballed into a political storm in Kerala with the Left parties, Congress, and various associations mounting a strong campaign that threatens to derail the BJP’s outreach among Christians in the state.
Initially, the local court rejected the nuns’ bail plea and transferred the case to an NIA court, intensifying concerns over the seriousness of the charges. What followed, however, was a surprising political turn.
The BJP in Kerala stepped in, calling the nuns innocent. BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar met Archbishop Andrews, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), pledging full support and explicitly stating that the BJP would not oppose bail. It has been reported that the bail to the nuns was realized following the intervention of the prime minister’s office (PMO).
The PMO intervened because the Christian outreach was Modi’s idea with an eye on elections. Christian votes hold significant sway in Kerala. The BJP leadership did very well knowing that its candidate Suresh Gopi registered victory in Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency with the support of the Christian community too. For future electoral gains, the saffron party needs the support of the Christian community in Kerala.
In fact, the arrest of the nuns has shaken the BJP ’s recent gains in building closer ties with Christian community in Kerala . Realising the need for the support of the Christian community for electoral gains, even while firmly opposing forced conversions, the Kerala BJP leadership moved quickly to intervene in the Chhattisgarh case. A delegation under BJP state general secretary Anoop Antony was sent to assist the arrested nuns after the state unit concluded there was no evidence of conversion attempts.
Archbishop Andrews publicly thanked the central government for its role, a move seen by many as an endorsement of BJP’s involvement. Christian leaders in Kerala on Monday reached BJP state committee office,’ Mararji Bhavan’, with cake to express gratitude to BJP state president Rajiv Chandrasekhar for the efforts taken by him to get the nuns released from jail. This shows that the BJP was not just a bystander but an active facilitator of the nuns’ release.
A section of political observers in Kerala feel that the entire episode may turn out to be a catalyst in Kerala BJP’s efforts to intensify its Christian outreach programme in Kerala in the coming days.
However, another section of political observers say this episode has overshadowed the broader pattern of Christian persecution in BJP-ruled states.
While the nuns’ bail verdict was celebrated, the fate of 35 pastors reportedly languishing in Uttar Pradesh jails remains largely unspoken. In Chhattisgarh and Odisha, arrests of Christians continue, along with the closure of house churches and attacks on prayer meetings. Yet, major church leaders and political figures have remained largely silent on these issues.
There are observers who argue that the Chhattisgarh episode could serve as a calculated move to position BJP as a “saviour” of Christians in Kerala ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. With BJP messaging aimed at framing Muslims and communists as adversaries and Congress as ineffective, the message seems clear: trust BJP for governance and protection.
For the Catholic Church, with its larger interest in the pan-Indian socio-political sphere, it has reiterated the need for friends in high places, especially in times of crises.
If the mission had failed it would have cast a shadow on BJP Kerala chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar . It ended up proving his close ties to the corridors of power in Delhi.
Though the state leadership is of the view that the BJP stands to gain from how the chapter involving the nuns was handled, a section within the party and other Sangh parivar organisations believe that the BJP failed to protect the sentiments of Hindu masses.
Many Sangh organisations publicly denounced the efforts of Rajeev Chandrasekhar stating that whenever the BJP surrendered its core Hindutva ideology, its workers and the Hindu masses voted against it
What is crucial is how the Christian community views the whole issue. At the same time, concerns remain about the silence from powerful Church institutions on issues such as anti-conversion laws and the rising tide of religious intimidation outside Kerala.
As the Assembly poll 2026 nears, the Chhattisgarh episode may be remembered not just as a legal case but as a political script. The big question is whether the BJP in the role of rescuer in the episode will be a potential electoral beneficiary.
Observers are of the opinion that one case of the nuns’ release will suddenly make the Kerala Christians, clergy and laypeople across the state, take note of the BJP.