BJP MPs in Kerala to nurse Lok Sabha seats
A top BJP leader, however, told DC the party has so far not earmarked constituencies for the two MP.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even before BJP national president Amit Shah urging the party’s 52 Rajya Sabha MPs to care for a lost seat in the Lok Sabha, the party’s Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala Suresh Gopi and nominated MP to the Lok Sabha Richard Hay had already adopted two villages in Thiruvananthapuram district. Suresh Gopi and Prof. Hay had adopted Kalliyoor and Vengannur grama panchayats, respectively, in Thiruvananthapuram district. While Suresh Gopi who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha this April, Thalassery-born Prof. Hay had to wait for 14 months to be nominated as a Lok Sabha MP representing the Anglo Indian community.
Richard Hay told DC that there have been instances where clash of ideas occurred when it comes to implementing a welfare scheme being implemented in a Lok Sabha constituency as the elected MP from a rival party would have similar welfare schemes. Prof. Hay said he had convened a meeting of former and current leaders of the grama panchayat to develop a slew of projects for them to plan in Vengannur so that he can implement them effectively.
“Though I joined the Lok Sabha only after 14 months, I have been allocated Rs 2.5 crore towards the Member of Parliament Local Area Development,” he said. “I have already earmarked '1 crore to the Thalassery Government Hospital but it is yet to be spent. The remaining amount will be given to Vengannur grama panchayat after we decide on the projects with the panchayat leaders within this month.”
A top BJP leader, however, told DC the party has so far not earmarked constituencies for the two MP. “Both these MP’s have adopted two villages in Thiruvananthapuram district,” the leader said. “The central government’s schemes can be effectively implemented for the growth and the development of these two villages. But very soon they will be provided with more responsible jobs to care for LS constituencies.”
At a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday, Amit Shah had asked the 52 Rajya Sabha members to adopt one Lok Sabha constituency each where the party had lost in 2014 and nurse it as if they are the Lok Sabha members from there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Shah are keen to utilise the services of Rajya Sabha MP’s to woo the voters from the lost constituencies so as to spread the party’s base and ideology. They have asked them to spend their MPLAD fund there and work in expanding the organisation.