THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan has denied that BJP was using religion for election campaigning in Kerala. The party was serious about its claim to win 71 seats, he told DC in an interview on Tuesday. Excerpts:
Vattiyoorkavu constituency is seeing a keenly contested triangular battle where you are the BJP candidate. How do you rate your chances there?
People in Vattiyoorkavu have been seeing what is happening here. They voted to power MLAs belonging to both the Congress and the CPM. Vattiyoorkkav become waterlogged when it rained for a few hours on Tuesday. Remember, most of the 24 councillors in the constituency are from the CPM or the Congress. What have they done so far in terms of development? People want to see a change and their dream would become a reality.
Don’t you think the NDA’s claim of winning 72 seats in this election is a bit exaggerated?
We have been saying of winning 72 seats right from day one. The arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the state twice for campaigning has made our task easier; and he is coming for a third time, too. In several constituencies including Malappuram, where we have fielded Panakkad Syed Badusha Thangal, witness triangular contests.
The CPM and the Congress have been ignoring us all these years but of late, they have realised that we are a formidable force. Even Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has admitted that the fight is between UDF and the BJP in certain areas.
But you have not named a CM candidate.
The NDA MLAs will discuss choice of the CM; this is not the appropriate time for it.
How easy it has been for the BJP to implement BJP president Amit Shah’s advice of politicising Hindu voters in the State?
It is an imaginary thing and we have never sought votes by talking about religion or caste. We want votes of everyone like any other political party. In fact it is the other political parties who claim that they have no religion that actually politicise Hindu voters in the state. Why was that a Hindu candidate was not fielded in Pala by the LDF? It all depends on the number of a particular community in the region. Similarly, why was a Christian candidate not fielded in Vattiyoorkavu?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi instigated Congress president Sonia Gandhi into making an emotional speech. Don’t you think it was unfair on his part to target her personally?
Nowhere in the speech did the prime minister named Sonia or questioned her nationality. She didn’t reply to his allegations; instead she made an emotional speech referring to issues he never raised. It was an attempt to garner sympathies of the audience. She tried to hide her role in these acts of corruption charges and tried to whitewash her antics by commenting on her nationality.
