BJP campaign falters amid controversies, from ‘deal’ claims to Pisharody incident

Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP’s election campaign in Kerala is reportedly facing repeated setbacks, from allegations of backroom deals to the recent incident where Palakkad candidate Ramesh Pisharody was blocked.

Adding to this, even as the party appears to be attempting to distance itself from implementing amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), several national leaders, including general secretary Vishnuvardhan Reddy, have reiterated that the changes will be enforced.

Although the BJP entered the campaign focusing on development as its main agenda, it has instead been dealing with a series of controversies from the outset. The first among them was the “deal” allegation, which the party leadership has tried to dismiss by claiming that such accusations are being raised due to a lack of substantive issues to debate.

Another issue that put the BJP on the defensive was the controversy surrounding the assets of its state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar. This was followed by further debate after Aghori sadhus appeared at one of his campaign events and blessed him. This was highlighted by LDF candidate V. Sivankutty as a political issue in Nemom.

Meanwhile, the party has also been facing criticism over religiously sensitive remarks made by its Guruvayur candidate B. Gopalakrishnan, which has sparked controversy in several places.

The most challenging issue for the BJP’s campaign, however, is FCRA-related. This was further intensified by remarks from Poonjar candidate P. C. George.

George’s comments, which were seen as offensive towards church leaders, have triggered strong protests from the Christian community, affecting candidates who were hoping to secure Christian votes. Groups including the Orthodox Church have openly opposed him.

Amid efforts to navigate these controversies, the situation escalated further when a BJP councillor allegedly blocked UDF candidate Ramesh Pisharody in Palakkad, adding to the political tensions in the state.