ALAPPUZHA: The Bharat Dharma Jana Sena will review its electoral performance and discuss its future programme at its state committee meeting at Cherthala on Sunday. The BDJS, formed on December 5, secured over 2.27 lakh votes in the district along with the BJP registering a huge growth since 2011 when the BJP’s vote share was just 41,296 votes.
Though the BDJS failed to make inroads into the CPM’s Ezhava vote bank, it hopes to make a stronger impact in the future. Its debut political battle has helped the LDF and harmed the UDF in many seats. Though the BDJS did not win any of the 37 seats it contested, it is not unduly worried. According to Mr Subhash Vasu, national general secretary of BDJS, they were satisfied with the poll outcome.
“We are just a five-month-old party and parties win ballot after years of struggle. Like BJP, we will also win seats in future if we could get this kind of traction among the people,” said Mr Vasu, who lost to Mr Thomas Chandy(NCP) in Kuttanad. Sources said the BDJS leadership would formulate a comprehensive plan to confront the establishment under the leadership of Mr Thushar Vellappally, who has unconditional support from the BJP.
A section of leadership thinks that with the removal of Mr V.S. Achuthanandan from parliamentary politics by the CPM, a large chunk of Ezhavas in central Kerala would part company with the CPM and join the BDJS. SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan said this election was not the end of the BDJS. Its priority was to build its organizational structure from the booth level, he said. The BDJS would focus on its theme of ‘social justice,’ he added.
