Top BJP netas set to campaign for Kerala polls; HM Shah, Yogi, Nirmala to address rallies

The BJP in Kerala has lined up its top national leaders to be part of Vijaya Yatra, the statewide rally lead by state president K Surendran, as part of the upcoming State Assembly Elections campaign. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will flag off the party's rally at Kasargode in North Kerala on February 21. As per party sources, one lakh supporters are expected to congregate in Kasargode. 

As part of Vijaya Yatra, BJP has planned 14 rallies and over 80 meetings with members of the party. The rally will conclude on March 7 at the southern tip of the state at the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram. "Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the final rally at Thiruvananthapuram," said BJP state secretary George Kurien to media. 

BJP has chalked out to focus on 'corruption-free Kerala', 'no appeasement politics', and 'development' as three focus areas for the two-week campaign. 

The party which opened its account in 2016 state assembly elections with a seat at Nemom, is eyeing to better its feat in Kerala for the upcoming Assembly Elections slated for April or May this year. The last local body elections increased its voting percentage by over 4%, the biggest surge amongst all other party's in the state.

BJP feels its Sabarimala campaigns, as well as the corruption charges against LDF and UDF ministers, will help them win seats in many constituencies. The party hopes for the positive shift in Christian voters attitude towards the BJP and hope to increase their winning chances in central belt in Kerala. 

TOUR SCHEDULE

Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, V K Singh will take part in the rally at Kannur, considered as CPI-M citadel on February 22. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will participate in the rally in Kozhikode on February 24. BJP National spokesperson Shahnawas Hussein will take part in a rally in Malappuram district which has a Muslim majority.

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Actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar will inspire cadres in Palakkad district at the rally on February 26. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Pralhad Joshi will campaign for the party in Thrissur. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will engage in the rally scheduled at Ernakulam on February 28.

In the Christian dominated belt of Kottayam, Textiles Minister Smriti Irani will deliver her speech on March 2. The youth firepower in the party and national president of the Yuva Morcha Tejasvi Surya will take part in the rally in Allepey. Meanwhile, the party's Delhi MP and lawyer Meenakshi Lekhi will hold the rally in Pathanamthitta district on March 4 where Sabarimala is located. While, in Kollam district, Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai will take part on March 5. 

Home Minister Amit Shah will take part and inaugurate the culmination of the Vijaya Yatra in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram on March 7.  For the hilly district of Wayanad, the rally is being organised on February 23 at Kuttiyadi while to cover Idukki, Vijaya yatra will pass through Perumbavur and Muvatupuzha in Ernakulam that borders it. 

The state general secretaries of the part M T Ramesh, George Kurien, C Krishnakumar, P Sudheer, Yuva Morcha state president Praful Krishna, Mahila Morcha State president Niveditha Subrahmanian will also be part of all the rallies. MT Ramesh will be overseeing and managing the 14 rallies.

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