KOTTAYAM: The induction of Mr Alphons Kannamthanam into the Union Council is seen as part of a long-term BJP game plan to strike roots in the Christian majority constituencies in central Travancore.
Given his penchant for quick results, Mr Kannamthanam, the Minister of State for Tourism and Information Technology, is expected to prioritise development initiatives and canalize Central resources for Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency in ways he can afford to, without prejudice to the office. The proposed airport at Erumely would be a thrust area.
Sources close to the Minister say his electoral options in Pathanamthitta cannot be ruled out. For now, his priority is to make it to Rajya Sabha within the mandatory six-month period, choosing a vacancy in either Goa or Andhra, ensuring 6 years in the House.
Local factors that favour Mr Kannanthanam in Pathanmthitta are his rapport with the public since his days as Kottayam Collector and his five-year tenure, representing Kanjirapally, in Kerala Assembly, from 2006 to 2011.
BJP pins its hopes on Pathanamthitta constituency, where its candidate, Mr MT Ramesh, polled 138, 954 votes in the 2014 last Lok Sabha elections, increasing the NDA tally from 8.92 percent to 15.98 percent while the UDF candidate, Mr Anto Antony, who won the seat, suffered nearly 10 percent erosion in the vote base.
BJP national council member P S Sreedharan Pillai told DC that Pathanamthitta’s constituency profile lends itself to the interplay of caste factors in BJP’s favour. This was evident in Moovattupuzha, where Mr P C Thomas, romped home in 2004 despite a more strident anti-minority image for the party. Such a feat would not be easy in Malabar, he said.
However, his performance as a Minister in the BJP government will be crucial in placing him at an advantage in the constituency. He belongs to Syro-Malabar Church, the dominant Catholic rite in Kerala.
