BJP hopes to do a Tripura in 2021 polls

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai here on Thursday said the mandate given to him by the party national leadership was to catapult the party to a formidable electoral position in the state so that BJP and its allies in Kerala would be able to wrest power from both LDF and UDF in the 2021assembly election.

“I’m not appointed for a year as claimed by someone. I’ll be in the post for the full three years. Our focus is not on 2019 Lok Sabha elections alone. Our focus is also on local body elections in 2020. In the 2021 assembly elections we hope to repeat a Tripura by routing the incumbent Left front,” Pillai said in a meet-the-press programme here, organized ahead of his taking over as the BJP state chief at the party headquarters here in the evening.

Pillai said the soil of Kerala has become fertile for the BJP to grow further.

“Look at the vote share of BJP in the last Parliament election. In five seats the party got 2 to 2.6 lakh votes. In 11parliament seats 1.75 to 2.6 lakh votes were polled in favour of the party. It does mean that a formidable electrical victory is not impossible for BJP in Kerala. If NDA was able to win in two Lok Sabha seats — Muvattupuzha and Lakshadweep — way back in 2004, BJP and its allies can clinch victory in more seats in the upcoming elections. We would uphold our moto — justice to all and appeasement to none — and welcome all those who are ready to associate with the party. BJP is open to all. Nobody is untouchable for us,” Pillai said.

Pillai said political detractors of his party, especially the CPM, were trying to demonise BJP by creating fear psychosis among members of minority communities by inventing stories and spreading lies and half-truths. “We are often branded as fascist and communal as we stand for cultural nationalism. Hindutwa is a way of life. It has been declared by the Supreme Court. While Siva Sena had argued in the court that the country should be declared a Hindu theocratic state, BJP had consistently upheld the view that Hindutwa is a way of life and culture. We are not against any religion or sect. We stand by all those who are denied natural justice and is subjected to discrimination,” he said.