THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP has tried to woo the Ayyappa devotees in Kerala by promising to bring in constitutional protection for issues related to faith.
The election manifesto released by the party on Monday said it will ensure that the subject of faith, tradition and rituals related to Sabarimala are presented in a comprehensive manner before the Supreme Court.
The BJP hopes to wrest Thiruvanthapuram and Pathanamthitta seats harping on the Sabarimala issue. K. Surendran had snatched Pathanamthitta from BJP state president P. S. Sreedharan Pillai who had the support of the NSS. Kummanam Rajasekharan is posing a strong challenge to the UDF and LDF in Thiruvananthapuram.
P. K. Krishnadas, former BJP state president, told DC that the state unit had succeeded in getting the Sabarimala women entry issue included in the manifesto.
“It shows the importance accorded to Sabarimala by the central leadership. But since the issue is before the Supreme Court, the party cannot go into the details of the future plan of action,” he said.
The Congress has also taken up the Sabarimala issue and senior leader Oommen Chandy said in Mananthavady that the party will take it up legally.
Senior leader A. K. Antony criticised the BJP's wavering stand on the matter and said that the BJP government had failed to bring in legislation while in power and now was making tall claims ahead of the polls.
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