As the BJP State unit gears up to launch its poll preparations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the State on Tuesday, organisational inadequacies are likely to thwart the party’s plans to strike an impressive performance in the Lok Sabha elections.
The State unit exudes confidence of wresting new segments, mainly the Nair Service Society, on the strength of the 10% quota initiated at the behest of the Centre for the economically backward among the general category and also the Sabarimala agitation. The NSS leadership had welcomed the quota legislation.
Tempo of agitation
BJP State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai has reiterated his resolve to sustain the tempo of the Sabarimala agitation by raising the issue at different fora.
The State unit is looking forward to some major announcement from Mr. Modi on Sabarimala during his Kollam visit to keep the agitation alive till the poll campaign gains steam or at least till the Supreme Court takes up the review petitions for hearing on January 22.
The party is also expecting a polarisation of the faithful, mostly women, in its favour in the Lok Sabha elections. It is planning to bring in prominent persons as candidates.
Party sources told The Hindu that precious little had been done so far to tone up the organisational machinery, especially in line with the instructions of the national leadership, to face the elections.
The leadership faces the arduous challenge of activating the organisational machinery and mending its relations with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh that have reportedly soured over the way the Sabarimala agitation is managed.
The schism in the party and the differences of opinion within the National Democratic Alliance are tall challenges. The Bharath Dharma Jana Sena is unhappy with the new quota legislation and the ‘raw deal’ meted out to it in the past five years. All these have to be settled before stepping up its poll preparedness, sources said.
