Amit Shah asks state leaders to strengthen NDA’s base in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Pitching for building on NDA's Kerala Assembly election performance to strengthen the alliance for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP President Amit Shah Thursday asked leaders to woo dalits and other marginalised sections and focus on converting the votes into more seats.

Shah was speaking at the NDA steering committee meeting here to review its performance in the May 16 elections in which NDA bagged 15 per cent vote share and BJP made its maiden entry in the state Assembly, party sources said.

The meeting was attended by the leaders of NDA partners in the state including Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) President Thushar Vellappally, Janadhipathya Rashtriya Sabha (JRS)chief C K Janu and Kerala Congress (Thomas) leader P C Thomas.

After reviewing the election results and the post-election scenario, Shah suggested formulation of a special action plan to achieve maximum results in Parliament elections in the state, they said.

In the closed-door meeting, he asked leaders to woo minorities, Dalits and other marginalised sections of the society and ensure their support in the coming days,they said.

Expressing happiness over bagging 15 per cent votes in the election, he also said the number of seats should also be increased according to the total vote share, the sources said.

Shah also attended a BJP state committee meeting held later.

BJP had fought the May 16 elections mainly in alliance with BDJS, a political party launched by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, an outfit of backward Ezhava community.

The party scripted history with its nominee and senior leader O Rajagopal winning the Nemom seat to help the lotus bloom in the Assembly for the first time in the state, dominated by the bipolar politics of Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led LDF.