Kerala to be renamed Keralam: BJP welcomes decision; Congress flags ‘dual policy’ on Bengal

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has cleared the proposal to rename Kerala as ‘Keralam’, paving the way for a constitutional amendment in Parliament and triggering a fresh political debate. While the BJP welcomed the decision as recognition of the state’s cultural and linguistic identity, the Congress alleged a “dual policy,” questioning why a similar long-pending demand to rename West Bengal has not received the Centre’s approval.

Reacting to the development, BJP National Spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, on Wednesday, said, “The people of Kerala had a long-standing demand for the name to be changed to ‘Keralam.’ Now, the change has been made. Once it is approved by the Vidhan Sabha, the official name of Kerala will become ‘Keralam’.”

The Union Cabinet’s approval came on Tuesday, just months ahead of the Assembly elections in Kerala. The state Assembly had earlier passed unanimous resolutions in August 2023 and again in June 2024, urging the Centre to amend the Constitution to reflect the name ‘Keralam,’ which is the Malayalam pronunciation of the state’s name.

While Kerala’s proposal has now moved forward, the issue has reignited debate over similar demands from West Bengal. In Uttar Pradesh, Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput criticised the Centre’s decision, alleging inconsistency in its approach.

“This is part of the BJP’s dual policy. The BJP should answer — for electoral reasons, you are ready to rename Kerala to ‘Keralam’ for political reasons, but you are not changing the name of West Bengal. On a serious note, Amit Shah and PM Modi should answer Mamata Banerjee’s fair questions,” Rajput told IANS.

West Bengal has sought a name change multiple times, dating back to the tenure of former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and continuing under current Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Over the years, the state has proposed names such as “Pashchim Bongo,” “Bongo,” and most recently “Bangla.” However, none of these proposals has received approval from the Centre. The latest proposal in 2018 to rename the state “Bangla” remains pending.

With the Union Cabinet clearing Kerala’s proposal, the renaming process now moves to the next constitutional steps. The President of India will send a Bill to the Kerala Assembly to seek its views. After the Assembly formally expresses its opinion, the Centre will introduce a Bill in Parliament to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution, which lists the names of states.

The proposed legislation will require a simple majority in both Houses of Parliament. Once passed, it will be sent to the President for assent. Upon approval, the change will be notified in the Gazette of India, after which the name ‘Keralam’ will officially come into use.

IANS