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Atmosphere in Kerala is favourable towards BJP, says V Muraleedharan
"The vote share in 2016 was around 15%; it went up in the Lok Sabha elections and then further up in the local body polls," he said.
Minister of state for external affairs and former Bharatiya Janata Party Kerala president V Muraleedharan speaks to Smriti Kak Ramachandran about the upcoming assembly polls in the state. Edited excerpts :
What is the party’s expectation in terms of seats and vote share in the upcoming elections?
The vote share was around 15% in 2016, it went up in the Lok Sabha elections and then further up in the local body elections. We are now somewhere around 17%. Generally, in Kerala, BJP’s vote share used to be the highest in the Lok Sabha elections, followed by the local body and then the assembly polls. My expectation is that we will be somewhere between 17 to 20%. I have never predicted the number of seats, but the overall atmosphere in the state is favourable towards BJP.
E Sreedharan is in his 80s, is the party expediently using the age bar. His joining is also being compared to the entry of cricketer S Sreesanth, who did not win the Thiruvananthapuram seat.
There is a difference between Sreesanth and Sreedharan. In Sreesanth’s case, perhaps we made a mistake because he is basically from Cochin and he wanted to contest the elections from Cochin and suburbs, but was fielded from Trivandrum. That place had no connect with him. The second factor was people look at Sreesanth as a cricketer, but Sreedharan is associated with public service. I’m sure with his experience we will progress further. As for his age, he is still very agile and dynamic.
What are the poll planks going to be?
People are fed up with corruption, vote bank politics being practised by both the UDF and LDF. Kerala (government) seems to be propagating to the country and the world that they are the best, but in every aspect this government has failed whether it is response to Covid-19, employment or financial management. We will ensure that there is no vote bank politics, no corruption and there is a transparent administration.
What plans does BJP have to generate employment in the state?
The Union government initiated many activities on that front. The skill development ministry has been authorised to initiate efforts to see what kind of employment can be provided to those who returned back.
In the local body polls, the BJP fielded Christian and Muslim candidates. In January, state’s church leaders met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There is a perception that the BJP is wooing the Christians.
The meeting of the Christian leaders with the PM happened after the local body elections. It was sought by them because they wanted to discuss some issues with the PM. For example, the minority scholarship and various other benefits that they felt the Christian community is discriminated (against) and in favour of the Muslims. They wanted to bring this issue before the PM that Christians are not getting their due. The other thing is the problems between the Jacobite and Orthodox factions.
From the BJP side, I will say that politically we are in a better position as regards the Christian community compared to the previous years. The suspicion among them that the BJP is against them is over. How far they will support the BJP electorally is a different matter, it depends on the local candidates and various other situations, but I can assure you that BJP’s relationship with the Christian community vis-a-vis Muslims is better. I hope that will reflect in the elections also.
Opposition says BJP can bank only on Nair votes.
That was an old allegation, which was used to target the BJP that it is an upper caste party. The fact is not so. We have among our senior leaders’ representatives from all communities, Nairs, Ezhavas, our ally is the BDJS.
There have been defections from other parties to the BJP in West Bengal? Will Kerala follow suit?
At this point in Kerala, we are not looking at people from other parties joining us. We would like to have people with integrity, who have experience of public life and who are efficient to join the BJP. I don’t say that others are not welcome but that is not our focus.
The Congress has raked the Sabarimala issue again. Oommen Chandy had written a letter to CM Pinarayi Vijayan last week asking him to approach the SC to expedite a ruling.
Last time (2019 polls) when Sabarimala happened, it made a huge impact and I admit that it helped the Congress because people were angry against the Left front. People voted for the Congress but have understood it is no different. After the polls they have not made any effort, now just before the elections they have again raised the issue. Otherwise, the Congress is not in favour of Sabarimala or the majority community. Last time they could have benefited but I don’t think this time they will.
Do you see the Congress’ resurgence in the state or is it a contest between BJP and the Left.
It is a tri-cornered contest. I won’t say it is completely irrelevant, but the Congress is not on an upswing. It does not have a national leadership and I don’t see any hope of resurrection at the national level, so the new generation feels that BJP is the party that can take the country towards progress and the same will reflect in Kerala as well.
Both the Congress and the Left Front have assured that if they win CAA would be blocked.
First of all, it is a central law. No state has the discretionary power in implementing or not implementing a central law. This law has nothing to do with Kerala and I don’t think there are people who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan and are trying to get citizenship.
BJP is seen to be cracking down on any kind of dissent; people are accusing the government of flexing muscle.
The farmers’ agitation is being used by some to campaign against India at the international level. A citizen of India is bound to be committed to the Constitution, so when somebody goes against it and the laws of the land… as per the procedures and the criminal procedure law, action will proceed.
Why did the government respond to comments of an international singer?
The government had to react because it was not an individual effort; it was part of a larger design. If somebody expressed something and kept quiet there is no issue. but when there is a larger design and there are people who are trying to malign the image of the country, it is the responsibility of the government to come out before the international community and say what exactly is the situation. If we don’t do that, we will be failing in our duty to protect the interest of the country.
