THRISSUR: The Party, which is yet to win an LS seat in Kerala, is going all out to open its account in the next polls. Party nat’l leaders and ministers are on a bid to promote the Centre’s welfare schemes to woo the state. The rise in vote share of the BJP from 11.15% in 2014 to 28.2% in 2019 has boosted workers’ morale.
The Mahila Morcha event is a clear indication that the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency is on top of the BJP’s agenda in Kerala. The party, which is yet to win a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala and has bagged just one assembly seat to date, is going all out to open its account in the next general election. In recent months, several national leaders and Union ministers of the party have attended programmes in the state to promote welfare schemes of the Central government.
Even during his speech at the ‘Sthree Shakthi Modikkoppam (woman power with Modi) Mahila Sangamam’, PM Narendra Modi highlighted the schemes implemented by his government. Though he did not mention Suresh Gopi by name, the actor-turned-politician was among the three leaders who accompanied the PM in his open vehicle during the kilometre-long roadshow.
The party’s prominent woman face, Sobha Surendran, hailed Suresh Gopi, saying the people of Thrissur adored him. “If you elect Suresh Gopi, he will return from Delhi. I can assure you he will work for the progress of Thrissur without considering differences of caste and community,” she said, speaking at the function.
BJP state president K Surendran mentioned that Modi’s visit was also to bless Suresh Gopi. The large gathering applauded Suresh Gopi when he waved at them. Although many expected an official announcement of his candidature, that did not come about.
Suresh Gopi has openly stated his intention to fight the upcoming general election from Thrissur and has been concentrating on issues of the constituency, where the BJP hopes to stitch together Hindu and Christian vote banks. Party workers erected posters with his picture ahead of the rally.
Recently, Suresh Gopi held a protest march in Thrissur against the alleged corruption of the state government, in general, and the scandal that has engulfed the CPM-controlled Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank, in particular.
Since 1998, Thrissur has been dominated by the LDF and the Congress, although neither has won consecutive polls here. In 2019, too, BJP had identified it as a priority constituency. Ahead of that election, Modi addressed a rally in Thrissur as part of the state convention of the Yuva Morcha.