‘Atmosphere in Kerala is favourable towards BJP’

NEW DELHI: Minister of state for external affairs and former BJP Kerala president V Muraleedharan speaks to Smriti Kak Ramachandran about the upcoming assembly polls in the state. Edited excerpts:

What is the BJP’S expectation in terms of seats and vote share in the upcoming elections?

The vote share in 2016 was around 15%; it went up in the Lok Sabha elections and then further up in the local body polls. We are now somewhere around 17%. Generally, in Kerala, the BJP’S vote share used to be the highest in the Lok Sabha followed by the local body and then the assembly. My expectation is that we will be somewhere between 17 and 20%... the overall atmosphere in the state is favourable towards the BJP. People are disenchanted with both the Communist and the Congress.

E Sreedharan is in his 80s. His joining is being compared to the entry of S Sreesanth, who did not win in Thiruvananthapuram.

There is a difference between Sreesanth and Sreedharan. In Sreesanth’s case, perhaps, we made a mistake because he is basically from Cochin and he wanted to contest the elections in Cochin and suburbs but was fielded from Trivandrum. That place had no connect with him.

The second is people look at Sreesanth as a cricketer, he has a good following too, but Sreedharan has been in public service connected with improving living (condition) and issues of livelihood. As for age, he is still very agile and dynamic...

What are the poll planks?

People are fed up with corruption and vote bank politics of both the UDF and LDF. Kerala (government) seems to be propagating to the country and to the world that they are the best, but in every respect, this government has failed whether it is response to Covid-19, employment or financial management. We will ensure that there is no vote bank politics, no corruption.

What plans does the BJP have to generate employment in the state? There is a large section that has lost jobs because of Covid-19.

The Union government initiated many activities on that front. The skill development ministry has been authorised to initiate efforts to see what kind of employment can be provide to those who came back. The BJP says that if Kerala has to become a society which not just depends on the money order economy, (then) it should become an income generating society within Kerala. Kerala’s income and finances are mostly dependent on the remittances from other states or other countries. We have to convert it into an economy which depends on manufacturing and efforts within the state.

The Congress has raised the Sabarimala issue again.

The last time (2019 polls) when Sabarimala happened and made a huge impact, I admit that it helped the Congress because people were so angry against the Left front, they said there should be a sure shot method of defeating them and that was the Congress. We will ensure that no such vote bank politics happens now. People voted for the Congress but have understood it is no different. After the polls, they have not made any effort, now just before the elections they again raised the issue.

Do you see the Congress’s resurgence or is it a contest between the BJP and Left?

It is a serious tri-cornered contest. I won’t say it is completely irrelevant, but the Congress is not on an upswing; they are in a sunset mode.