Not Sabarimala, BJP is using another strategy to capture two districts this time, first phase is success

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP is gearing up for the parliamentary elections. The state and national leaders of the party believe that if they work hard, they can win five to six seats in Kerala. The BJP is into all tactics for subversion when left and right say that it is just a dream. Pathanamthitta is one of the constituencies where the party is hoping for a victory. The BJP had proved its strength in the last parliamentary elections with nearly 300,000 votes and twenty-nine percent voter support.

The BJP leaders know that they will not get the votes they got last time. The Hindu sentiment that Surendran evoked during the protests in Sabarimala has almost waned. However, it is estimated that the basic Hindu votes will be for the BJP but it won’t come close to the votes they got last time. If there is any hope of victory in the Pathanamthitta parliamentary constituency, vote polarization must be done in some other way. Pathanamthitta is a constituency where religious and communal votes are crucial. No matter what development projects the central and state ruling parties present to the people, a large number of voters are waiting for the orders of the religious leaders. The arrival of the bus with the New Kerala audience has created a great stir among the people. With the administrative achievements of the central government, the Vikasit Bharata Sankalap Yatra reached every panchayat, but due to the lack of support from the state government and the lack of cooperation of the non-BJP panchayat governing bodies, it did not become a big discussion in the rural areas. The leaders have sought support for the BJP by personally meeting the beneficiaries of the Modi government's development projects. It is not certain that the party will get the support it expects from them.

Operation Orthodox
That is why BJP leaders are trying some new strategies. An important one has surprised the BJP's political rivals. As part of BJP getting closer to the Christian groups, it was a great political success for the party that the Orthodox Church was able to bring the Great Metropolitan Kuriakos Mar Clemmis to the Sneha Sangam held in Pathanamthitta in connection with the Christmas and New Year celebrations. This has shocked the main rivals Congress and CPM. Many orthodox church leaders and family members participated in the Sneha Sangam conducted by the BJP in a secret manner. The Secretary of the Orthodox Church Nilakkal Bhadrasanam Fr Shaiju Kurien also accepted BJP membership. Forty-seven Christians joined the BJP. Union Minister V Muralidharan inaugurated the conference. The union minister said there is evidence that Bethlehem was a pilgrimage center for Christians since ancient times, just as there is evidence that Ayodhya was a pilgrimage center for Rama devotees.

BJP has strong Hindutva base of RSS at national level. The party spread its roots all over India after leaning on it. As a part of expanding popular influence, great ties have been established with Christian sects. Christian religious leaders are now untouchable with the leaders of RSS and BJP. The presence of many Christian Church bishops in the Prime Minister's Sneha sangamam in Delhi was a political gain for the BJP. As a continuation of that, the Sneha Sangam was also held in Pathanamthitta. The congress and the LDF are a bit concerned after major metropolitan and church leaders have become close with the BJP. Veena George, who contested against incumbent MP Anto Antony last time, won the votes of a large section of the Orthodox Church, reducing Anto's majority. The church leadership is of the opinion that Veena George failed to communicate the church's interest in the Orthodox and Jacobite dispute to the government.

Candidates will be crucial
Religious minorities have come to understand that BJP is a trustworthy party. BJP came to power in North Eastern states with the support of Christian votes.
The BJP is close to the Marthoma Church and the Orthodox Church, two prominent Christian communities in the Pathanamthitta constituency. Former UDF district convener and Marthoma Sabha member Victor T Thomas is a BJP national committee member. It is rumored that the candidates of the left and right fronts in the parliamentary elections will be from Christian sects. The UDF is considering sitting MP Anto Antony. Ranni former MLA Raju Abraham and former minister Dr Thomas Issac are in the list of the LDF. There are rumors that the Christian candidate will be fielded in the event that the BJP, which has considered Hindu candidates so far, is getting support from the congregations. If that happens, BJP can expect a big breakthrough with the support of Hindu and Christian groups.