Kerala Assembly Elections: NDA bets on scoring upset wins
In the local body elections last year, the BJP had made major gains.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Will the lotus bloom in the state this time? That is the outcome being anxiously awaited around the country with the rival fronts, the LDF and UDF, vowing to prevent the BJP from opening an account in the state Assembly. On the other hand, the saffron party has poured in cores of rupees into the campaign and marshalled its national leaders to score upsets wins in constituencies like Vattiyoorkavu, Nemom, Chengannur, Palakkad, Manjeshwaram, Kuttanad, Idukki and Udumbanchola.
Ever since Mr Amit Shah had taken over as the national BJP president in July 2014, he has been concentrating on Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In the local body elections last year, the BJP had made major gains. While it could garner only six percent vote share in the 2009 Assembly elections, it bagged 10 percent in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. It has shown that it is a formidable force in Thiruvananthapuram corporation and Palakkad municipality.
“With the elevation of Hindu Aikya Vedhi leader Kummanam Rajasekharan as the state BJP president with the blessings of RSS, it was evident that Amit Shah meant business. This time we are confident of winning 20-plus seats in the Assembly with the support of BDJS,” said a senior BJP leader.
Initially, the state leadership wanted to give emphasis on 22 A-plus seats where the BJP core committee leaders are in the fray. But Mr Amit Shah was keen on 70 plus seats with the support of the BDJS.
Mr Amit Shah’s several attempts to appease Mr G. Sukumaran Nair, NSS general secretary, did not bear fruit. Mr Shah’s ploy was to appease the NSS leader by bringing in Mr Kummanam, a Nair leader, to the helm of the party which also did not produce the desired results. It, therefore, remains to be seen whether the BJP and the BDJS will manage to win at least one seat in the Assembly.