homepolitics NewsPM Modi's intensified Kerala visits spark political fervour ahead of Lok Sabha Polls

PM Modi's intensified Kerala visits spark political fervour ahead of Lok Sabha Polls

Senior CPI(M) leader M A Baby accused the BJP of employing a strategy of persuasion and coercion to attract parties outside the NDA fold and said this would not work in Kerala.

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By PTI Feb 25, 2024 1:10:45 PM IST (Published)

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PM Modi's intensified Kerala visits spark political fervour ahead of Lok Sabha Polls
The BJP functionary expressed confidence in Modi's appeal, claiming that minorities in Kerala, a significant portion of the population, will support him due to his universal acceptance and non-sectarian image.

However, the Congress and the CPI(M) remain steadfast in their anti-BJP stance.
Senior CPI(M) leader M A Baby accused the BJP of employing a strategy of persuasion and coercion to attract parties outside the NDA fold and said this would not work in Kerala.
He claimed that while such tactics have yielded some gains for the BJP through opportunistic policies, he condemned the approach as manipulative.
Baby criticised the BJP's recruitment of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, formerly of the Congress, as an example of this alleged political opportunism. He asserted that such tactics would not succeed in Kerala, implying that Modi is yet to understand this reality.
Dismissing the notion that Modi's personal image would sway voters in Kerala, the CPI(M) politburo member said that the BJP has only managed to secure one seat in the Kerala Assembly way back in 2016.
According to Baby, any significant breakthrough for the BJP in Kerala would require cooperation from the Congress and the UDF, which he doubted would occur due to the risk of damaging their credibility.
"Therefore, the repeated visits by Modi would not pose a threat to the CPI(M) and its allies in Kerala," he told PTI.
Senior Congress leader Kodikkunnil Suresh reiterated the state's resistance to the BJP, citing concerns among minorities about their safety under BJP rule.
"Let Modi come to Kerala many times; there will not be any change in the anti-BJP approach of the people of the state. Because the majority of voters align with the democratic-secular sections of society," he said.
Suresh, one of the senior members in the Lok Sabha, criticised Modi's alleged inaction on issues like the Manipur violence, asserting that the BJP's attempts to court the Christian community would falter due to apprehensions about right-wing groups.
"As Prime Minister, Modi has been criticised for failing to intervene and address the concerns of the people of Manipur. While past leaders have intervened to resolve conflicts in various parts of the country, Modi did not visit Manipur or acknowledge the issues faced by the minority community in the northeastern state," he alleged.
Suresh expressed confidence that the BJP would struggle to secure minority votes, a crucial factor for electoral success in Kerala.
He claimed that the BJP's electoral prospects in the Lok Sabha polls were slim, as the main contest remained between the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF.
Modi held two large roadshows in Kerala last month, one in Thrissur and another in Kochi, highlighting the BJP's focus on the opposition-dominated state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
He also offered prayers at the Thriprayar Sree Rama Swami Temple in Thrissur district and addressed a party meeting of around 6,000 in-charge of 'shakti kendras' at Marine Drive in Kochi.

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