The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to open parleys with different denominations of the Christian community and go an extra mile to win their confidence in the run-up to the Assembly elections. The move gains significance in the wake of the tough stance adopted by the Nair Service Society (NSS) towards the party’s attempt to build bridges with its leadership. Also, the strategic alliance with the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, had yielded only a lacklustre performance in the local bodies’ elections. Being taken up at the behest of the national leadership, the initiative is expected to be reciprocated warmly by the Christian community since it would ensure protection from violence triggered by Hindu fringe groups as had happened in the northern and eastern States. The BJP national leadership is reported to be keen on replicating here the model it claims to have successfully experimented in Goa, where the party had won the confidence of the Christian community to access power. The party had made a similar move prior to the Lok Sabha elections and this had to a certain extent reflected in the performance of some of its candidates too.
Making a dent in the Muslim vote bank in north Kerala is a very tall challenge for the party. The Christian community, sources said, were more accessible and entreaties for mutual support could elicit a positive response.
A direct interaction with the powerful Church leadership is being considered as a wise option for making inroads into the bipolar politics of the State. The recent win in the local bodies’ elections in a number of panchayats and municipalities in Ernakulam, Kottayam and Alappuzha districts has galvanised such moves. The party has already made symbiotic regional alliances with the Kerala Congress(M) in some local bodies.
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