The BJP is reaching out to Christian and Muslim communities in Kerala.
It has been quite a shift in focus for the BJP in Kerala: In its attempt at winning seats in the state assembly election on May 16, the party is no longer focussing on just consolidating the Hindu majority vote in the state.
BJP Chief Kummanam Rajasekharan was seen sharing the dais with minority religious leaders at a seminar organised by a social group in Thiruvananthapuram.
This, its opponents claim, is among the recent efforts of the party to reach out to the Christian and Muslim vote-banks in Kerala. The two religious minorities together account for 45 per cent of the state's population h too large a group to be safely ignored.
Kummanam Rajasekharan, BJP State President says, "We are for the minorities also. There are many among the Hindus who are deprived, neglected and poor too and we need to work for them too. I have met many Bishops, and they all have shown positive signs."
The BJP, which has never had an legislator in the Kerala Assembly, is expected to field around 15 out of its 90 candidates, from the minority sections. It's candidates like Bahadurshah Thangal from Malappuram believes that BJP is secular.
"Definitely BJP is looking at more candidates from minority sections, I see BJP as a secular party and will get a lot of minority votes", he said.
But the BJP's major election move is still seen in the seat-sharing deal with the BDJS - the political organisation representing the powerful Hindu majority backward class of Ezhavas.
The Opposition claims these moves towards the minorities are only an election ploy of the BJP.
"Anyone who has seen what is happening in JNU and other universities will know the true colours of BJP. Is there anything more to say?" VS Achuthanandan told NDTV.