Thiruvananthapuram: Amit Shah’s search for the golden period of the BJP has triggered a never-before enthusiasm among party workers in the states of Karnataka, West Bengal, Odisha and Kerala. The trends and swings come as an added encouragement. But what awaits BJP is a Herculean task, one that would hand them the hardest run.
For Shah, apparently, the mammoth task of it all would be to spread saffron across the southern state of Kerala, where it has failed to make a major mark in the previous polls despite the national trend. It still appears a far cry for the BJP to spread its reach in Kerala like it did in the North-East recently, but what awaits them imminently is an opportunity to swell its tiny presence in the state.
As the state prepares for the by-election in Chengannur, the BJP would be going all out to secure its second seat in the Kerala legislature. Given the backdrop of the previous polls, it would seldom appear like shaking up the political tone of the state. But indeed, Shah would definitely want to take it as a stepping stone towards firing up the party’s progress in a state that has constantly blocked its path ahead.
What fires up Shah and his men are the poll results that brought the BJP the crown in a couple of states, a few days ago. Talking of Chengannur, the tiny assembly constituency in Kerala had seen a turn of tables the last time it went to the polls, when the Left Democratic Front managed to usurp the two-time winning UDF’s domain. However, it was the strides made by the then BJP candidate P Sreedharan Pillai that made things a bit uncomfortable for the winning side then.
depend on the candidature raised by BJP this time. While it is yet to be officially disclosed, it remains likely that Sreedharan Pillai would once again be the man in focus, and the spade work has already begun. As many as 41 Sakthi Kendras have already been formed in Chengannur’s booth committees, and the saffron party’s effort is to connect with every voter and woo them with facts rather than false promises.
The Chengannur poll poses equal challenge for the ruling LDF government, which has started facing an anti-incumbency clamour from the Opposition, despite being just 21-months-old. Any favorable result would deliver them with the weapon that would help quell the cries. A win in the by-poll would, at the same time, also fire up its battle against the BJP on a broader scale.
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