After Karnataka, will the “lotus bloom” in Kerala? If the BJP brass is to be believed the party may open their innings with at least one assembly seat in the southern state.
This time, even national leaders of the BJP were in Kerala perspiring to get at least one seat in the 140-seat assembly and their biggest hope lies in the northernmost constituency of Manjeswaram.
The party is showcasing the prosperity of Mangalore, the bordering city in BJP-ruled Karnataka to woo the residents of Manjeswaram which has long been neglected by state governments. Both Mangalore and Manjeswaram are part of the Tulu-speaking belt. Logistics support from across the border has also boosted the morale of BJP workers in the constituency.
The BJP had a minor success story in Kerala when P C Thomas, an independent, had won a Lok Sabha seat in 2004 with backing of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Taking a cue from Thomas’ victory BJP is pinning its hopes on minority votes.
“The apathy of successive Congress- and Communist-led political fronts in Kerala stands exposed in Manjeswaram, be it industry or healthcare. BJP on the other hand has a development model to showcase nearby Mangalore,” says Krishna, a BJP worker. He felt Mangalore epitomises all that a BJP win can offer to the constituency and the state — development, industrialisation, jobs and healthcare, among others.
No wonder, BJP has fielded one of its strongest candidates in Kerala state secretary K Surendran. “I am very much part of the people of Manjeswaram for the last two years. People here are with me and want to ensure my victory. I know their pulse,” said Surendran.
BJP had stood second in Manjeswaram for the last two consecutive terms with its leader KG Marar, coming close to a win in 1987, when he lost to Indian Union Muslim League candidate Cherkkalam Abdulla by 1,330 votes.
Apart from Manjeswaram in the north, BJP is also eyeing a seat at the southern tip of the state. In Thiruvananthapuram district, the party has fielded former minister of state for Railways O Rajagopal in the Nemom constituency. Rajagopal had polled more than 2,28,000 votes in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram.
“The voters need a candidate with proven credentials and I find a lot of support even from the people outside the party,” Rajagopal said. The party has put up candidates in all 140 constituencies and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said the party is in touch with all Hindu organisations like Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Sree Narayana Dharma Palipalana (SNDP) Sangham for their support.
Indicating his party’s intentions, BJP state president V Muralidharan said: “For the first time BJP is trying to build up a “credible opposition” in the state. As a ruling party and opposition, BJP has performed very effectively in the Centre and several other states. We never had any opportunity to perform any of these roles in Kerala. This is the first time we are asking voters to give us a chance to perform.”
