Will lotus bloom in unexpected constituencies? BJP, Rajeev Chandrasekhar with surgical strike

KOTTAYAM: Reports say Union Minister George Kurien will be fielded in Kanjirappally assembly constituency. It is reported that the party's national leadership has directed Kurien to focus completely on the constituency. The party has eyes on the Christian votes, which constitute about 25 percent of the constituency. Just like how the Christian votes favoured Suresh Gopi in Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, they hope that if Kurien becomes the candidate, the same thing will happen in Kanjirappally if he is fielded in the constituency.

The BJP also performed well in the constituency in the last assembly elections. Former union minister Alphons Kannanthanam was the candidate then. It is believed that the situation is more favorable now than it was then and that making George Kurien the candidate will make things favorable. The party also hopes that the fact that he is from Kottayam district will be a bonus. He has become active in the constituency in recent days, following the party's instructions.

Kurien was elected to the Rajya Sabha in Madhya Pradesh to fill the vacancy left by Jyotiraditya Scindia's resignation. George Kurien holds one of the three Rajya Sabha seats in the state that will fall vacant in April. There were reports earlier that the BJP will send Kurien to the Rajya Sabha again from Madhya Pradesh.

Meantime, it is reported that the party has directed Padmaja Venugopal to start working in Thrissur constituency and state general secretary Sobha Surendran in the Palakkad constituency. State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar will consult with the central leaders in charge of the state and then direct apt leaders in the priority constituencies to start the preliminary work.

Padmaja was the Congress candidate in Thrissur in 2016. There were complaints that she lost because a section of the party played against her. In the last Lok Sabha elections, Suresh Gopi managed to come ahead in division 35 of the Thrissur Municipality. The BJP expects that Padmaja will be able to achieve that feat.

The party was able to come second in Palakkad assembly constituency when Sobha Surendran contested in 2016. That leap is what the party is hoping for in the present favorable situation. It is hoped that Sobha will also be able to overcome internal party issues in Palakkad.