According to sources, Shah wanted the party to adopt a more aggressive approach in taking on the Pinarayi Vijayan government and asked it to reach out beyond its traditional support base and showcase the Modi government's achievements
When BJP president Amit Shah visited CPM-led LDF ruled Kerala, his message to his party was crisp and clear — pull up your socks and target winning more than half the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019.
Underlining that the BJP could capture more political space in the state, he said the leaders and workers should not be reconciled to the Left and Congress dominating the electoral battles.
A state party leader said Shah infused confidence in the party on how to take the BJP ahead in Kerala, where it made its first electoral inroad in the assembly elections last year, with veteran leader O Rajagopal winning Nemom constituency. With just a 15 per cent vote share in Kerala, Shah recalled that the party had begun with a small percentage in several other states but gone on rule them. He amplified that the efforts needed to translate into seats.
According to sources, Shah wanted the party to adopt a more aggressive approach in taking on the Pinarayi Vijayan government and asked it to reach out beyond its traditional support base and showcase the Modi government's achievements. He told them that he would make another visit in three months.
Shah, in his various interactions during his visits as part of his 95-day yatra across the country to strengthen the organisation, also reached out to the Christian community, which constitutes around 18 per cent of the state's population, meeting heads of various Christian denominations in Kochi.
The BJP has been given a target of forming booth committees in 80 per cent of the booth committees. The party is trying to capture the votes of the ezhavas, an OBC community, which has largely been backing the Left, and the Dalits, in a state where Muslims constitute around 26 per cent of the population.
Shah is now heading for Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for a day's visit, a clear sign that he was not leaving any stone unturned in the BJP's mission 2019. Besides his meetings with party leaders, intellectuals and at booth and mandal levels, Shah will have breakfast in a fisherman's colony. The BJP, which had won the lone seat from Andaman, had increased its presence in the local bodies winning 44 of the 62 gram panchayats.
"Its not a question of there being just one Lok Sabha seat. He has also been Lakshadweep. Ge will be meeting the elected representatives here," said state party in-charge Tarun Chugh.
He said the Modi government had increased the number of flights to the state from two to 17 and made travelling between Andaman and Nicobar islands easier.
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