Will Surendran become a game changer at Wayanad? BJP seems to think so

In Wayanad, BJP's vote share was less than 4% in 2009. It doubled by 2014 to reach nearly 9. In 2019 BJP's coalition partner BDJS's leader Thushar contested as NDA candidate and secured 7.2 percent only.

Thiruvananthapuram: With the BJP deputing party Kerala president K Surendran to take on Rahul Gandhi at Wayanad for the Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party is pinning high hopes of a considerable leap in their vote share at Wayanad as was witnessed in Amethi in UP.

Surendran, who commenced his campaign in the constituency on Tuesday with a road show, has accused Gandhi of not initiating any development and welfare measures for Wayanad. He is also highlighting the initiatives taken by the BJP government at the centre for Wayanad's upliftment especially by including the district in the aspirational districts programme.

Surendran's initial reaction to his candidature was that Rahul would face the fate that he faced at Amethi.

Amethi, which had been a Congress stronghold, witnessed a major leap in BJP's vote share - from around six percent in 2009 to 34.5 percent in 2014 after Smrithi Irani contested and then to around 50 percent by 2019 marking Irani's victory.

In Wayanad BJP's vote share was less than four percent in 2009. It doubled by 2014 to reach nearly nine percent. In 2019 BJP's coalition partner BDJS's leader Thushar contested as NDA candidate and secured 7.2 percent only.

Wayanad constituency consists of three assembly segments of Malappuram district and one of Kozhikode also and is considered as a Muslim dominated one.

BJP sources said that even if a victory would not be possible for Surendran at Wayanad this time, the BJP's vote share would definitely witness considerable increase.

"At present many factors are favourable for the BJP. There is a general feeling that Narendra Modi will return to power. The BJP also made considerable inroads into the minority communities," said former editor of RSS mouthpiece Organiser, R Balashankar.

He also said that Surendran was the best candidate for Wayanad as he is a good fighter. Moreover, by fielding the party state president himself at Wayanad, BJP has given a message that they are taking the fight seriously, he said.

BJP camps are also expressing hopes that there could be a split in the anti-BJP votes at Wayanad as left-front have fielded CPI national leader Annie Raja at Wayanad.

Surendran, who is 54, had contested at Pathanamthitta in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and BJP's vote share increased by 13.5 percent. He lost the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections at Manjeshwar in Kasargod by just 89 votes and 745 votes respectively. The firebrand leader had hogged the limelight during the stir against the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in 2018-19.

While Rahul is yet to commence his campaign at Wayanad, Annie Raja is well ahead with her campaign.