BJP woos Lakshadweep MP to make inroads to island

Thiruvananthapuram: BJP national president Amit Shah has established a rapport with Lakshadweep’s  sole MP P. P. Mohammed Faizal, 41,  of the NCP during his three-day visit to the island which concluded on Thursday.  Mr Faizal attended a   meeting on Tuesday night which was chaired by Mr Amit Shah. “The meeting discussed the  development of Lakshadweep and I  suggested setting up a desalination plant,” he said.  

However, a Kerala BJP leader told DC that Mr Faizal would be the next BJP candidate from Lakshadweep in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. During the 2014  elections, BJP candidate M.P. Sayed Mohammed Koya  had polled only 187 votes. Former Congress MP Hamdulla Sayeed, son of the late Union minister P.M. Sayeed, was defeated by  Mr Faisal.  Lakshadweep had been  a Congress bastion and P. M. Sayeed had represented the constituency for a record 10 terms from 1967 till 2004.

Though the central BJP team was  apprehensive,  Mr Amit Shah decided to have organisational meetings and a public meeting at Kavaratti coinciding with his countrywide trip.  

Mr Shah along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi had wanted to make inroads in Lakshadweep and get  the support of an able leader from another party.
 Lakshadweep is known for its support to a strong personality, and the voters are not interested in politics.

Mr Faizal denied that he would leave the NCP and join the BJP. He also came out with a Malayalam press release stating that it was a courtesy call on Mr Shah who had come to the island for the first time.