Overview
- On January 13, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking central approval to officially adopt the name Keralam.
- He also wrote to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, reaffirming the party’s support for the state’s 2024 resolution to change the name in official records.
- Chandrasekhar framed the renaming as a move to preserve linguistic heritage and safeguard communal harmony, citing attempts to push for religion-based districts.
- The assembly resolution seeks usage of Keralam across government documents and in languages listed under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
- No central decision has been announced, as the appeal comes during a stepped-up BJP campaign in Kerala following Amit Shah’s January 11 visit.