PALAKKAD: Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya was in Palakkad campaigning for NDA candidate C Krishnakumar as the front fancies its chances in the assembly by-election.
The BJP leader shared his thoughts with TNIE.
Excerpts.
Palakkad is considered BJP’s Class-A constituency. What are your expectations?
We will definitely win this election. Last time, we lost this seat by just around 3,000 votes because both UDF and LDF cross-voted to sideline the BJP. This time also they will do it. But the voters are aware about it and our karyakartas are working hard to ensure the votes.
BJP has maintained control of the Palakkad municipality for consecutive terms. Now Palakkad is drawing national attention. Is it a matter of prestige for the BJP leadership?
Absolutely. The people of Palakkad blessed the BJP with the municipality. Palakkad is the stronghold of the party. The party earlier fielded a very senior leader, E Sreedharan, and this time also fielded a senior one, C Krishnakumar.
Workers are optimistic that BJP’s success in the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat will positively impact the Palakkad assembly election. What are the main challenges for BJP in Kerala?
After the victory in Thrissur, I think a new chapter in BJP’s history was opened in Kerala. It has given a lot of confidence to our karyakartas. The people are slowly accepting BJP. In the case of Palakkad, it neighbours Thrissur. The impact of that victory is going to resonate in Palakkad. One major challenge for BJP is whenever BJP is coming close to victory, both Communist and Congress parties come together and do vote transfer to prevent BJP from winning.
The Waqf Board issue has been a significant topic for BJP...
What’s happening in Kerala is the Waqf Board’s land jihad. In Munambam, 400 acres have been claimed by the Waqf Board. Large villages which don’t have a single muslim family, but only Christian families, are declared as Waqf property. In Mananthavady in Wayanad, five acres are being claimed, and in Taliparamba in Kannur, around 600 acres including the famous Rajarajeswara temple are being claimed.
Waqf Board also claimed land in Noorani and Kalpathy in Palakkad. Waqf Board is a secular board, but its encroachment is towards Hindu properties and Christian properties. All these encroachments are done for Muslim vote banks. Both UDF and LDF are shamelessly supporting these illegal encroachments. So, I request both the Hindu and the Christian community to come together to oppose this illegal encroachment by the Waqf Board.
What key messages do you plan to convey to the voters?
Krishnakumar ji is a local candidate. He is very committed to the calls of development in Palakkad. Palakkad has heritage and history, and is a very important place in Kerala in terms of its culture. If you elect a party like Congress or Communist, they will destroy these because they have no vision and they are all corrupt. So, electing Krishnakumar is development for Palakkad and support for a local person. Moreover, electing Krishnakumar is for supporting the local culture and for defeating Waqf encroachments.