Thiruvananthapuram: The Sabarimala issue came in handy for the BJP to set the agenda for the Lok Sabha elections at least in a few constituencies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah harped on the theme to whip up the sentiments of the devotees and claimed that its government will protect the faith and traditions of believers. State president P. S. Sreedharan Pillai and his team think that the party has gained from the Sabarimala agenda.
The LDF's slogan, 'Secularism will win, development will prevail" came as an afterthought to counter the BJP.
Both the Congress and the CPM tried to expose the BJP citing the Modi government's failure to enact a law on Sabarimala.
However, the BJP is hopeful of creating history in Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta where its candidates Kummanam Rajasekharan and K. Surendran have fought a hard battle.
"The voters understood the games played by the CPM and the Congress on the Sabarimala issue and the NDA got votes from all communities. The polling percentage shot up in Thiruvananthapuram because of the strong triangular battle," said Mr Kummanam.
A senior BJP leader told Deccan Chronicle that Mr Surendran would scrape through in Pathanamthitta which was the epicentre of Sabarimala agitation. Women cast votes for him due to the sympathy factor as he was jailed on the Sabarimala issue, he said.
"Minority voters are crucial in Pathanamthitta. Surendran did not get the support of Kerala Janapaksham as its chairman P. C. George did not join hands with the top leaders of NDA," he said.
It is learnt that the NSS leadership had rallied behind Mr Surendran at the last minute.
The BJP has also pinned its hopes on Thrissur and Palakkad where Mr Suresh Gopi and Mr C. Krishnakumar have put up a strong fight.
