BJP’s ambitious bid to get foothold in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP is intensifying its efforts to break its electoral dry spell in Kerala as the state braces for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
With a concerted focus on outreach, particularly towards the minority Christian community, the party aims to secure a foothold in the southern state. Kerala’s demographic landscape, with Muslims and Christians constituting a significant portion of the population, presents a formidable challenge for the BJP, perceived as a pro-Hindu party.
However, the party is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to appeal to diverse voter segments. In a strategic move, the BJP has welcomed prominent Christian figures like Anil K Antony, son of Congress stalwart A K Antony, and seasoned Kerala politician PC George, into its fold.
Additionally, the party is leveraging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s frequent visits to Kerala, emphasising developmental agendas tailored to the state’s needs.
To bolster its electoral prospects, the BJP has strategically fielded two Union Ministers, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan, alongside popular actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi.
The party’s campaign slogan, ‘Modi’s guarantee’, underscores its reliance on the Prime Minister’s popularity and leadership.
‘Modi’s guarantee’ will be the main catchphrase of the BJP’s electoral campaign this time in Kerala, party leaders said. While the BJP is confident that its strategy will play out as planned, the two major traditional players in the state politics-- the Congress-led UDF and the CPM-led LDF believe that it will not help the saffron party secure even a single seat.
Disregarding the criticism and doubts raised by the Left front and the Congress, the BJP’s state general secretary George Kurien said that the people of Kerala no longer have any trust in either of them which is why they will vote for the saffron party.
To fulfill the party’s desire to make inroads in the state and secure seats in double digits, as revealed by the PM during his most recent visit to Kerala, the BJP has fielded candidates who were best suited and “fit “for the job, Kurien said.
“We felt that they were the most fit, the best suited candidates to contest from Kerala,” he said in response to a query as to why the party fielded Union Ministers of State Muraleedharan and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Gopi and Anil.