Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), looking to make inroads in southern states as part of its strategy to win 370 Lok Sabha seats, has named Anil Antony, son of Congress veteran AK Antony, as its candidate from Kerala’s Pathanamthitta parliamentary seat. He had an exclusive conversation with Organiser Special Correspondent Nishant Kumar Azad and Sub-Editor Yatharth Sikka during his campaign trail in Pathanamthitta. Excerpts
You had been in Congress before joining the BJP. Can you elucidate the major differences between both the parties?
There is a stark contrast. Let me just sum up the difference in two words: Vision and Work Culture! BJP under PM Narendra Modi has a vision for Bharat for the upcoming 25 years, while Congress does not have a vision for the upcoming 25 days. For work culture, BJP is a democratic party in true spirit. Every karyakarta, from PM Modi to a booth level worker is working dedicatedly to rebuilding the nation. For them its nation first, while the Congress party is working as a family enterprise to support and strengthen just one individual, Rahul Gandhi. I have been given the opportunity by the party to contest from Pathanamthitta seat in Kerala, and I am doing my best.
It’s your debut in Lok Sabha elections. While the BJP got resounding majority in 2014 and 2019, but the party didn’t win a single seat in Kerala. How are you facing this challenge?
You are quite right, but the ground situation has drastically changed from 2014 to 2024. Of course, the single biggest factor, and that is PM Modi himself. It is his leadership and good governance that BJP has rose from 6 per cent to 12-13 per cent vote share in Kerala in no time. And opposition leaders also admit it. We are rallying behind PM and his multiple social beneficiary schemes. Recently, when PM Modi was here to campaign, he listed these schemes and people rose to the occasion to acknowledge his leadership. From Vande Bharat to Mudra scheme to multiple welfare schemes, Modi Government has won the trust of the people who have been let down by the successive LDF and UDF Governments.
But, Opposition parties keep dubbing BJP as an anti- Muslim and anti-Christian party. How are you approaching your electorate with this kind of narrative?
People of Kerala have started understanding the game which LDF and UDF have played with them for a long time. If BJP is an anti-Muslim and anti-Christian party, how come it has become the largest party in the whole world? How is BJP sweeping elections in Goa and North-Eastern states which have a large Christian population? How is BJP performing exceptionally well in Muslim dominated constituencies? The so-called “anti-minority” tag is an invention of Opposition parties that have their hands dirty with appeasement politics. There are more than 50 crore beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana. There are crores of beneficiaries of PM-KISAN scheme. Nobody was excluded based on their religion or caste! PM Modi and BJP, in true sense, took everybody along.
Since the day you joined BJP, your father AK Antony is not happy with you. Recently your father said, “BJP candidate Anil Antony should lose from Pathanamthitta seat”. What do you have to say?
I don’t mix-up politics and personal. I have clear political differences with my father, despite my utmost regard and love for him. He chose to be in a party dedicated to one family, I moved to a party dedicated to the whole nation. It is unfortunate that, as a former Defence Minister my father supported someone like Anto Antony. It is true that Anto Antony is a senior parliamentarian, but think about it that just to appease a particular community and get some votes, a few weeks back he cleared Pakistan from Pulwama attacks. Does it suit my father who has been Defence Minister of the country to support a person like Anto Antony? I won’t answer it. The people of Kerala and voters of Pathanamthitta will answer him.
Kerala has around 52 per cent women voters and NDA has already put forward four women candidates. What are the reasons you think that women will vote for BJP?
This is nothing new for BJP and NDA. PM Modi has very clearly said that ‘four biggest castes for me are the poor, the youth, women, and farmers’. He is dedicated to women’s empowerment, and there is no ambiguity about it. Be it representation or implementation of schemes, BJP has always remained committed to the role and dignity of women, unlike the opposition parties, which do only tokenism.
How many seats you are expecting that BJP is going to win from Kerala?
Look I am very clear about it. BJP has not won a seat in Kerala till date. We are a party which is expanding at the grassroots. I don’t want to make loud silly claims. We have focused on a dozen parliamentary seats. And we are hopeful to deliver the best. Our vote- share has doubled in no time. We are sure that the people of Kerala will vote for change.
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