Keen to expand its core social base ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State leadership now appears to be warming to the Nair Service Society (NSS).
In a message posted on his social media page, BJP State president K. Surendran on Tuesday revealed that NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair had sent letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressing the organisation’s gratitude for their wishes on this year’s Mannam Jayanthi. He also shared the editorial of the latest edition of the NSS mouthpiece Service that thanked Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah.
The BJP leadership appears keen on seizing this momentum and building a good rapport with the NSS ahead of the elections. The move, according to observers, is also expected to help the party in dispelling reports that Oommen Chandy is taking the reins of the Congress in Kerala with the backing of the NSS.
Speculation is rife about a likely visit by Mr. Modi to the NSS headquarters.
The NSS leadership, however, has clarified that there was nothing political in sending the gratitude letters. “This is for the first time that an Indian Prime Minister and Home Minister are acknowledging the contributions of Mannathu Padmanabhan on Mannam Jayanthi day and NSS considers it as a great honour. Hence, it was my duty to express the gratitude of the NSS,” said G. Sukumaran Nair, general secretary of the NSS.
He reiterated NSS’s commitment to the equi-distance policy towards all political outfits.
