PM to kickstart BJP’S Kerala campaign

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With four months left for crucial assembly elections in Kerala, political parties are gearing up to woo voters. The state will soon witness five major ‘yatras’, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will visit Kerala next week, is expected to sound the bugle for the BJP.

The ruling Congress-led UDF is trying hard to rewrite the state’s poll history while the Left is in a do-or-die battle to storm one its last bastions. For the BJP, it is an opportunity to prove it’s no pushover in the southern state. Stacks are loaded against all three and they are busy wooing caste and community leaders to curry favour.

The first to hit the road was SNDP (Sree Narayana Dharmaparipalana Yogam) general secretary Vellapally Natesan, who last week announced a political outfit of backward Ezhavas who form 20% of the population. Both the ruling UDF and the opposition LDF are equally worried over an apolitical SNDP taking political colour and leaning towards the BJP.

The state BJP feels PM Modi will set the tone for its campaign. He will address a workers’ meet in Thrissur on Monday. He will also visit the Sivagiri Mutt, birthplace of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru. The party is hoping to give a tough threecornered contest in at least 30 seats. It has decided to concentrate more on constituencies where it has a chance. “We are looking towards to the PM’S meet,” said party state president V Murleedharan.

CPI(M) politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan will lead a ‘yatra’ next month and cover all 140 assembly constituencies; PCC chief VM Sudhreen announced a month-long road show from Jan 4; the Muslim League, one of the partners of the ruling UDF, said it would also soon take out a rally, and so did the CPI. Cadre-based parties have started family and sympathisers’ meets to face the political challenge.

THE STATE BJP FEELS PM MODI WILL SET THE TONE FOR CAMPAIGNING AIMED AT ENDING ITS LONG POLITICAL DROUGHT IN THE STATE