Karnataka leaders to push BJP’s south dream

BENGALURU: Three leaders of the state unit of BJP have been hand-picked by central leaders of the party to criss-cross neighbouring states as part of the strategy to expand the party’s foothold south of the Vindhyas.

Sources in the party told Deccan Chronicle, that national organising joint secretary Santosh has been given the responsibility of strengthening the party’s support base in Tamil Nadu and Kerala states while Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kattel and former minister C.T. Ravi have been appointed joint in-charge of Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively.

These three leaders would work for the success of BJP’s candidates in elections to the Legislative Assembly in Tamil Nadu and local body elections in Kerala in 2016.

Action plan for Kerala

First to emerge as social and cultural alternatives in Kerala, party has instructed its cadre to conduct socio- cultural programmes and asked to counter “appeasement politics” of ruling Congress and Communist parties. “We have decided to launch large scale public campaign against Communists parties for its divisive politics in Kerala.

Since CPI (M) and CPI have failed to lodge their protest against misrule of ruling Congress, our cadre has launched massive protest rallies against the Congress government in that state,” said Mr. Santhosh.

Noticing organisational erosion of Communist parties in Kerala, BJP has decided to fill that vacuum and also decided to approach non-committal Hindu voters of Communist parties.

Even it has also decided to lure committed Hindu voters of Congress by highlighting the pro-people programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said adding “Our first goal is to make a good beginning in upcoming polls to panchayats, Zilla Panchyats and urban local bodies through organisational network of Sangh Parivar.”

Action plan for Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has witnessed two-party politics for decades, but leaders of BJP seem confident about emerging as the third alternative in that state. Sensing erosion of DMK’s vote bank, following a leadership crisis in that party, BJP’s leaders are keen to attract the voters of that party. First and foremost challenge to the party would be to identify potential leaders in that state, both at district and local level.

“Our relationship with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa is restricted to maintaining a good rapport between the Union government and Tamil Nadu, otherwise we have no business with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister regarding to strengthen our party organisation in the state, we have decided to concentrate to prepare the party for 2016 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu”, added Mr. Santhosh.

Tamil Nadu joint in-charge C.T. Ravi said he had made three visits to the state, his main focus being the changing trend in Tamil Nadu politics and to convince young voters to embrace BJP ahead of Assembly elections in 2016.

C.T. Ravi learning Tamil

In order to win the hearts of voters of Tamil Nadu, BJP’s joint in-charge C.T. Ravi has started learning Tamil. “I have started learning few catchy words in Tamil to help address party cadre and voters in Tamil Nadu. I used those words at a recent meeting of the party in Tamil Nadu,” said Mr. Ravi.

Plan to win 30 seats

Along with its pre-poll alliance partners, BJP has garnered 19 per cent of the votes polled in Lok Sabha elections in 2014, achieving a 2.34 per cent to 5. 48 per cent jump over that notched in Assembly elections in 2009. Of the 234 seats, the party intends to win 30-odd seats in Assembly elections next year, sources added