Amit Shah to monitor bypoll at Chengannur

Thiruvananthapuram: BJP president Amit Shah will directly control the campaigning in the Chengannur by-election expected early May along with Karnataka Assembly elections. At the BJP state office bearers' meeting in Chengannur on Thursday, they chalk out a strategy to improve on P. S. Sreedharan Pillai’s 2016 performance polling 42, 682 or 29 percent of votes cast.
Mr Shah is trying the Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat campaigning strategy in Karnataka. He had formed “Shakthi Kendras” with booth in-charges and page in-charges managed by BJP and RSS. 

He has not been attending public meetings, but the district and booth-level party meetings. Though there were issues with allies, especially Bharat Dharma Jana Sena, he had reportedly pacified them.   “BDJS president Thushar Vellappally had already held two rounds of talks with him in New Delhi last month. We understand they will get key posts later this month. We do not know whether Mr Vellappally will get a Rajya Sabha seat,” said a BJP leader.

Currently, it has formed 164 booth committees in Chengannur. RSS has also appointed their in-charges in all the booths.  By March 20, NDA’s in–charges will be ready.  Very soon, they are expected to present Mr Pillai’s candidature before the central leadership.  At Thursday's meeting, state president Kummanam Rajasekharan demanded to retrieve the misused funds of Adivasis by officials.