Malayalam actor Devan quits BJP, says Kerala unit ignored Sree Narayana Guru's ideals

Veteran Malayalam film actor Devan, who currently serves as the vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Kerala unit, has announced his decision to quit the party. Speaking at a function at the Kanichukulangara Devi temple in Alappuzha on Sunday, Devan accused the party's State leadership of drifting away from the social justice principles of reformer Sree Narayana Guru.

The temple is administered by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, a prominent community organisation. SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan heads its administrative committee. Devan chose this venue to publicly declare his 'resolve' to leave the BJP, according to his statement.

Devan said his political thinking has always been rooted in the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru, a social reformer who fought against caste discrimination and championed equality. However, over the past five years, he said he saw no reflection of these ideals in the BJP's Kerala unit. 'My politics is based on the social ideals of Guru. In the past five years, I have not seen them reflected in the BJP in Kerala. I have realised that the BJP State unit's current line does not agree with my political orientation guided by the Guru's ideals,' he added.

Devan also spoke about his contributions to the party, saying he worked aggressively for the BJP and helped in the victory of its candidates, including party State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar in the 2026 Assembly elections. 'Even Mr. Chandrasekhar cannot deny the fact,' he asserted. He added that he arrived at his decision after much introspection, having decided to part ways with the party in early 2026. He deliberately waited to make the announcement at the Kanichukulangara temple.

Devan entered politics from the film industry in 2004, launching the Kerala Peoples Party. He merged this party with the BJP in 2021 at the instance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. His resignation comes at a time when the BJP's State unit is facing several controversies, including alleged diversion of Assembly election funds for private use, leadership absenteeism, impaired political orientation and response, and factionalism.

Mr. Chandrasekhar has repeatedly denied the accusations. BJP leader P.C. George, who had raised the election fund misuse allegation, later attempted to retract his statement on Sunday. The Centre's recent amendment to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act has also threatened the BJP's social engineering outreach to Kerala's Christian community and backward-class voters, a significant section of which had supported the party in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Devan's departure is seen as a setback for the BJP's efforts to expand its base in Kerala, where the party has struggled to gain a strong foothold. His criticism of the State unit's direction may add to the internal challenges facing the BJP in the State.