In the high-profile Wayanad seat of Kerala, where Rahul Gandhi is contesting, there is a triangular fight between UDF, LDF and BJP. About the issues in Kerala and various dimensions of this interesting electoral contest, the BJP candidate and state president, K Surendran candidly shared his views with Organiser Special Correspondent Nishant Kumar Azad and Sub-Editor Yatharth Sikka. Excerpts:
You are fighting an election from one of the high-profile seats, Wayanad with Rahul Gandhi and Annie Raja in contest. What are BJP’s chances ?
We are very hopeful in this election. People across Kerala are now realising how PM Narendra delivered the development for Kerala, which Congress and Left parties have neglected for the last 70 years. LDF and UDF ruled and ruined Kerala. There is no development and no employment. Industrial growth has also declined in the state; agriculture is almost finished. People from all walks of life believe in the ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’.
Moreover, this is an ideological fight between the NDA and I.N.D.I Alliance. I.N.D.I Alliance means the anti-Indian alliance. Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, all the urban Naxals and Tukde-Tukde gang are together. Rahul gandhi goes abroad and campaigns against India, tries to block the development. Hence, the radical elements are with him in the election. The banned PFI’s political offshoot, SDPI is openly supporting him, the Welfare Party of India, the political face of Jamaat-e-Islami, is also with him. Therefore, we are confident that on the basis of our ideological fight and delivery on the ground, under the leadership of Narendra Modi ji, NDA will surely win seats in Kerala.
So, what are the key issues you are raising during the election campaign?
The main agenda is the ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ related to development. For so many years, the national highway in Kerala was in a pathetic state which is changing now. There are over 1.5 crore beneficiaries of various schemes of the Modi Govt, like KISAN Samman Nidhi, Free ration etc. However, Congress and the Left parties are discussing only about CAA and the movie The Kerala Story to divert the attention in the name of religion. What is CAA in Kerala? Who is going to be affected in Kerala by this?
Do you see this as an attempt to communalise the politics of the Opposition in the name of CAA?
They always do that. Even in the name of Saddam Hussein, they played the same dirty politics. They don’t discuss public issues concerning common people. 30 per cent of the Kerala population is Muslim, hence, fearmongering about Modi and BJP is their only agenda.
There is a perception that the BJP is a Hindu party. How will you appeal to the Muslim and Christian voters for their votes?
See, the BJP is the only secular party. It believes in “Appeasement of none, Justice for all”. There is no discrimination in the implementation of Govt’s schemes. For example, in India, the biggest beneficiary of Mudra Yojana is the Mallapuram district, where more than 70 per cent of the population is Muslim. The pseudo-secular campaign of both Congress and the Left is the reason behind communalisation.
“Love jihad is an issue for the Christian community. Hundreds of ISIS recruitments have been reported in Kerala. This is not a BJP issue or a Hindu issue but a national security issue”
Contrary to the LDF and UDF thinking, the minority communities are not a single block, but there is a difference of opinion among them. All the diocese and Christian churches are showing ‘The Kerala Story’. Love Jihad is an issue for the Christian community. Hundreds of ISIS recruitments have been reported in Kerala. This is not a Hindu issue but a national security issue. Many thinking people have realised that the real threat is not RSS-BJP but they are radical Muslim groups, and PFI. There are hundreds of cases pending in our courts related to missing girls. So, this is a reality no one can neglect.
Do you see any impact of the reconstruction of the Ram Mandir in Kerala?
It is everywhere in Kerala. We observe every Shravan as Ramayan month every year. All Malayalis read the Ramayan every day during this period, which has been a custom in Kerala for many decades. So, Bhagwan Ram’s impact is very big in Kerala.
PM Modi has made multiple visits to Kerala in recent days. Will the visuals seen in his rallies convert into votes?
Why not? This time, it will convert into votes. There is a pro-Modi wave in Kerala. In the last election itself, we got 33 per cent votes in 4-5 constituencies out of 20. Then Rahul Gandhi would be the next PM, Modi was a one-time fluke was the narrative peddled by Left-supported media and political pundits. That has shattered now. The fact is that Modi’s acceptance and approval are growing day by day in Kerala. So this time we will get votes and they will convert in seats.
One important thing noticeable in Kerala is the quarrel within the I.N.D.I. Alliance. The Left parties even question Rahul Gandhi’s candidature from Wayanad.
This is a mockery. I have never seen such a situation. The Left candidate is cursing Rahul Gandhi. Annie Raja’s husband, D Raja, was seen hugging Rahul Gandhi at a Delhi rally recently, but after coming back to Kerala, they begged Rahul Gandhi not to contest from here.
