Kerala BJP hopes ride high on Tripura wave

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP hopes to capture Chengannur riding on the crest of the wave created by the election victories in the North-East states.  BJP national president Amit Shah has asked the state leadership to expose the 'compromise politics' of the LDF and UDF. "We will rip apart the LDF and UDF's 'unholy nexus' with which they try to defeat the BJP,"  said a senior BJP leader. Mr P. S. Sreedharan Pillai, 64,  has already started his campaign even before the central BJP leadership has announced his candidature.

Chengannur Assembly constituency has  39 percent Nair population with an equal number of  Christian voters.   The NSS leadership led by G. Sukumaran Nair is close to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Left camp. But Mr Sreedharan Pillai has also wide acceptance among the NSS leadership as well as the SNDP Yogam.    Mr Alphons Kannanthanam, union minister, has held talks with the Christian Bishops in Chengannur.

During the 2016 Assembly elections, Christian churches and prayer centres had invited Mr Sreedharan Pillai to address the believers in Venmani village.  "Amit Shah is likely to visit Chengannur when he comes to Karnataka for campaigning. We have been asked to ensure that there is at least one beneficiary in Chengannur from the various central schemes," said another BJP leader.