Kerala elections 2021: BJP district items hit out at state prime brass for dismal present

Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite having round 30 lakh major members within the state, why might the BJP ballot solely 23.5 lakh votes within the current meeting election? Where did the 6.5 lakh get together votes go?

Why might BJP’s most important ally BDJS, which polled 8 lakh votes in 2016, retain solely half of those votes in 2021? These had been the powerful questions that the saffron get together’s state management confronted because it took inventory of the meeting election outcomes.

The district-level conferences to analyse election outcomes, which got here to a detailed on Friday, additionally witnessed fierce opposition to the alleged ‘one-upmanship’ of the V Muraleedharan-Okay Surendran axis within the get together. Some district items even demanded an intensive management change to salvage the get together from the current plight, a lot to the displeasure of the official faction.

“Crucial grassroots-level work such as house visits have happened only in around 1,500 of the 20,000 booths where the party has influence. Many of the workers were reluctant to even distribute one-fourth of the notices and campaign leaflets due to their differences with the state leadership,” mentioned a senior BJP chief who was aware of the varied district-level management conferences. 

The management conferences concluded that booth-level organisational work was completely ineffective this time round. There was additionally stiff opposition to the norm of fixing an higher age restrict of 45 years for mandalam presidents. This led to skilled aged leaders, who might join effectively with the individuals, being completely sidelined from election work. 

‘Neutral voters alienated’

A chopper-hopping state president contesting in two seats, a destructive marketing campaign technique, claims of forming the subsequent authorities with even 35 seats and thereby signalling attainable horse-trading after the election, had been a number of the components that alienated impartial voters from the get together this time, in accordance with the district committees. 

The get together couldn’t money in on the candidature of eminent personalities like E Sreedharan or the visits of Prime Minister Narendra Mod and different prime nationwide leaders to key constituencies. At the organisational stage, the factional struggle taking part in out within the open and choice of candidates who’re loyal solely to the official faction led to the alienation of numerous get together staff, it was identified. 

The district-level management conferences had been additionally of the view that although the get together couldn’t make important positive factors within the native physique polls, such a surprising defeat that questioned the very relevance of the get together was least anticipated and sought pressing corrective measures together with a revamp of the get together’s state prime brass.