BJP to chart future course on Sabarimala post results

Thiruvananthapuram: BJP will chart their future course of action on Sabarimala after the Lok Sabha poll outcome. Even if their candidates come to the second position in Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Palakkad, still they'll hail it as their victory over the issue.

Some exit polls have predicted Kummanam Rajase-kharan creating history in Thiruvananthapuram and coming second in Pathanamthitta and Palakkad. Suresh Gopi is expected to improve the party's vote share in Thrissur, to which the BJP camp had not given much priority initially.

BDJS president Thushar Vellappally expects, apart from Thiruvananthapu-ram, one or two seats. They expect Mr Rajasekharan to defeat Dr Shashi Tharoor by over 15, 000 votes.

If BJP’s vote share in 2014 Lok Sabha elections was 10.3 per cent, now they are hoping it to double as against 15 to 17 predicted by the exit polls.

But some are not happy given its progressive vote share over the recent elections.

“I will say the state BJP is at crossroads,” said a veteran. “The leadership had failed miserably in cashing in on the Sabarimala issue. The decision to shift the protest before the Secret-ariat boomeranged.”

He maintains the vote share is going to increase, but state leadership deser-ves no credit.

With NSS maintaining equidistance, BJP camp remains dejected.