THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an election season dominated by long, text-cluttered manifestos, the NDA has thrown a curveball. Its Thiruvananthapuram corporation manifesto, released on November 30, has become one of the most talked-about campaign documents in the city — not for its content alone, but for its strikingly unconventional, infographic-driven design that looks more like a colourful route map than a political pledge sheet.
The moment the pamphlet is opened, voters are greeted with a bright roadmap graphic winding across the pages, carrying the party’s promises like pit stops on a journey to 2030.
Instead of marathon paragraphs, the BJP also presented its core commitments in seven punchy, quick-read boxes — a format insiders say was crafted to make the manifesto instantly readable. But what truly propelled the manifesto into public conversation was not its visuals alone — it was the opposition’s furious reaction to a single line: the BJP’s proposal that Thiruvananthapuram could be pitched as one of the event venues of the 2036 Olympics.
“We have mentioned that we would request the Centre to make Thiruvananthapuram one of the event venues for the 2036 Olympics,” a senior BJP leader overseeing campaign coordination said.
“But the UDF and LDF went after us aggressively on this proposal. Ironically, that made our manifesto go viral. Everywhere we went, people asked us to show them our Olympics proposal and we’d pull out the pamphlet.” Even ground-level BJP workers admit the new look caught them off guard. “We didn’t expect this level of excitement. People look at the design first, then start asking questions about the Olympics,” a party volunteer said.
Party sources said that BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar personally pushed for the clean, modern format, insisting that the voter should understand the party’s priorities “in one glance.”
One councillor candidate described the reaction from colleagues: “Some were sceptical. Some feared it would be subject to trolls. But the leadership said, ‘let’s take the risk.’ And it became a hit.” Designers involved in the project said they were initially worried people might mock the roadmap look.
“But this time, the gamble paid off. Whether we’ll repeat it in the Assembly elections — that’s a secret,” said a member of the graphics team. While some voters welcomed the change and others dismissed it, many agreed that the format is undeniably different.
“I’m unlikely to read an entire manifesto because of my schedule, but I went through the BJP’s version since the points were easy to grasp. I’m not sure if this approach will work, but it is impressive,” said Tom Joseph, a software engineer and city resident.
“I personally prefer the old style of manifestos. I don’t like this new format, but I must admit it caught my attention,” said Divya Gopinath, a senior citizen. Insiders hint that the party is already brainstorming more innovative formats for upcoming manifestos. “If everyone starts copying this style for the Assembly polls, why should we repeat it?” a senior leader quipped. “We’ll bring in a new surprise.”
For now, the BJP’s colourful roadmap manifesto has become a curious subplot in the city’s campaign trail — a reminder that in politics, how you present your promises can sometimes create more buzz than the promises themselves.