KOCHI: Desperate to make electoral inroads in Kerala’s bipolar political sphere, the BJP is trying to woo the Christian community apart from cashing in on the polarisation of Hindu votes. But, will the BJP be able to shed its anti-minority tag and convince the Christian community? “Angels are at work. Everything is possible.
Miracles occur all around us,” said a senior BJP leader, borrowing the words of Paulo Coelho.
According to top party sources, the BJP has committed to fulfil some of the key demands of the Christian community at the national level. The attempt is to dispel the misgivings among the community and expand the party’s vote base beyond the traditional Hindu voters.
“Many people wonder why the BJP is so optimistic about Pathanamthitta. The Sabarimala incidents had hurt the sentiments of a section of Hindu voters loyal to the ruling party. We have reports from the grass root level that it will have an impact on the verdict. Apart from this, there is a marked change in the approach of certain Christian communities towards the BJP. More Christian leaders will be joining the party in the coming days. The wind of change has started blowing and we are confident of garnering 24 per cent votes this time,” said a party leader.
According to BJP Kottayam district president N Hari, the changing political scenario has increased the chances of the party in Kottayam Lok Sabha seat. “NDA candidate P C Thomas has got strong connections in Kottayam, which will work in our favour. The discordance among the Kerala Congress workers in Kottayam over the candidate selection and the development projects implemented by the NDA Government have increased our acceptance among the voters.
We are approaching the voters with a long list of achievements. The performance of Thomas as Muvattupuzha MP will also influence the voters,” he said.In Ernakulam, the arrival of Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam has provided a stimulus to the party. “Our vote share in the constituency has increased considerably in Ernakulam,” said BJP city president C G Rajagopal.