MALAPPURAM: Will a rally, aimed at political benefits, backlash a party in an election instead of helping it bag votes? Ask local leaders of BJP at Vengara. For the party is now facing the heat in Vengara as rivals are using the Jana Raksha Yatra as a political tool to put BJP in the dock. Already hit by campaigns against the Union Government citing price rise in petroleum products and GST, the BJP is facing criticism from the UDF, LDF and the SDPI for comments its leaders Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath made during the rally.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan unleashed attacks against the BJP referring to the derogatory comments by Adityanath against Kerala. The Chief Minister, while addressing a panchayat rally at Vengara, said the UP Chief Minister violated primary discipline by making such comments against the state.
“The country follows a federal system and the Chief Minister of a state is obliged to abstain from making such derogatory comments against another state,” Pinarayi said. The LDF leadership here feels BJP’s rally has come as a blessing for them during the campaign. “BJP leaders have crossed all limits and they are not targeting any party or group. Rather they are humiliating the entire state. These activities will reflect in the byelection for sure,” said LDF election committee general convenor E M Mohandas.
He said both the LDF and the UDF are taking advantage of the mistakes committed by BJP leaders. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy condemned the derogatory remarks on Kerala by Shah and Yogi, saying people of the state would shun attempts to humiliate the state. “BJP’s attempt to tarnish the image of Kerala will be resisted collectively by the people of the state,” Chandy said. “They are trying to highlight trivial and isolated issues to defame Kerala at the national level.
I strongly condemn the communally charged remarks made by Adityanath and Shah regarding their allegation of Love Jihad. There is no such thing in Kerala and some isolated incidents couldn’t be generalised. Inter-religious marriages are common in a progressive state like Kerala.”KPCC secretary K P Abdul Majeed said BJP scored a self-goal by initiating such a rally. “The party has no any chance in the byelection. And the rally will only help detach voters,” he said. Meanwhile, BJP leaders said the rally will have a positive impact in Vengara.“The statements are not targeting Kerala or Malayalees. They raise valid points and voters here are aware of the facts,” said BJP district president K Ramachandran.