KALPETTA: Firebrand tribal leader C.K. Janu's plunge into the Sangh politics as a candidate in Sulthan Bathery has fired cadres as well as allies. They have already launched a poster campaign for her across the constituency. Ms Janu the other day left Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha (AGMS) that she formed decades back to join NDA. BJP started the campaign for her even before the official announcement of her new party Janadhipathya Rashtriya Sabha.
The fact that BJP improved its votes from 8,818 in 2011 to around 30,000 in the local elections last year in the constituency raises Janu’s hopes. A constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes, BJP hopes to cash in on the dissatisfaction among the Paniya and Kattunayikka tribes, as the other candidates, sitting MLA I.C. Balakrishnan (UDF) and Rugmini Bhaskaran (LDF) are representing the elite Kurichia tribe.
BJP Wayanad district president Saji Shanker told DC that the constituency has considerable Ezhava population which would take a favourable stand towards Ms Janu whom they consider as a better candidate.
BJP also believes that the presence of Vellappally Natesan in the campaign would help her garner at least half of the 30,000-strong Ezhava votes in the constituency.
Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) district president Shaji A.K. told DC that apart from the NDA-BDJS network, her candidature has made it an A-category constituency where major national leaders would campaign. “Such a high-voltage campaign would have a bearing on the independent electorate,” he said.
However, Congress and CPM leaderships laugh at the claims saying she never bagged a decent vote in her past elections. Congress district president K.L. Poulose told DC that she was fielded by UDF in 2005 as an independent candidate at her home turf of Panavally where she bagged only 14 votes. “Now her candidature is just a joke, and we are not at all worried about it,” he said.
