When other BJP candidates in the district got Rs 50 lakh, special candidate received Rs 2.25 crore, but his campaign didn’t go as planned

KOTTAYAM: Among the BJP candidates in the Kottayam district, the highest contribution from the central poll fund was received to Alphonse Kannamthanam. Sources say the civil servant turned politician, who contested as NDA candidate from Kanjirapally received Rs 2.25 crore. Kanjirapally is the only constituency in the district where the party have high hopes.

1,13,000 votes were polled in the constituency. Party sources say that BJP has about 40,000 votes in Kanjirapally. The last analysis of BJP says that if Kannamthanam can bag 50,000 votes, he can secure a comfortable victory.

State vice presidents of the party—G Raman Nair, who contested from Changanassery and Dr Prameela Devi, who contested from Pala received Rs 1 crore each.

But the party workers hold the view that despite receiving such large amounts as central fund, the party’s campaign in the district didn’t have much sheen and undue delay was witnessed in the vehicle rally and other poll programmes didn’t go as planned.