BJP revives Jan Sangh roots

KOZHIKODE: The BJP aims to intensify the attack against CPM, its arch enemy in its citadel, Malabar by hosting the party’s National Council meeting in Kozhikode. The meeting also plans to rekindle the memories of organising the event 50 years ago when the party was known as Jan Sangh. BJP leadership hopes that the intra-front rivalry in the UDF coupled with increasing disillusionment among CPM rank and file over ideological deviations would help the party to expand its base.

The focus of the leaders this time is on the violence in Kannur where they allege the CPM is unleashing an attack on BJP-RSS leaders. All national-level leaders who were camping in the city to monitor the preparations for the National Council Meet were very concerned about the ‘deplorable situation’ in Kannur. Attending a press conference, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav was very much critical about Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging that without his knowledge such things would not have happened in Kannur.  

“We are very concerned about the series of attacks unleashed against our members and leaders,” he said, adding that this is happening in the district of Chief Minister.  BJP insiders say that the party is going ahead with a survey on political crimes in the state which proved that CPM is instrumental in majority of them. National president Amit Shah is expected to hit out against CPM during his visit on Thursday.

However, the BJP is also facing stiff intra-party squabble as a major section is unhappy with the way state president Kummanam Rajasekharan reorganised the party and mass organisations. Many of the former district-level leaders are keeping a safe distance. “If they want to fix RSS men in all key posts why are we roaming around in the ground?” asked a BJP worker who wanted to remain anonymous.

“Seva (service) is seva and politics is politics,” he said, adding that lackluster attitude of the workers is very much felt in Kozhikode. Though the party had organised programmes to rekindle the spirit of Jan Sangh days when the national council which elected Deendayal Upadhyay as the president was held in Kozhikode, many in the party feel that the moves are yet to yield any result.