Will return from Kerala only after bringing BJP into power: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Chandrasekhar underlined the need to increase the voter share of BJP from the current 19 per cent to taste power in a state which has traditionally been bipolar
After being named head of the BJP in Kerala, former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday pledged to bring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power in the southern state.
Demanding to know why Kerala lagged behind other south Indian states, Chandrasekhar said both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the CPI(M) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had failed the state.
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Stating that the BJP had entrusted him with the mission of bringing the BJP to power in Kerala, he said: “I will return only after competing that mission. The mission is to bring change, and for that, (the) BJP must come to power.”
BJP vote share
Addressing a party meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, Chandrasekhar underlined the need to increase the BJP's vote share from the current 19 per cent to taste power in a state that has traditionally been bipolar.
He pointed out how he had secured a whopping 3.5 lakh votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha battle from Thiruvananthapuram in 2024, losing narrowly to Shashi Tharoor of the Congress.
"Kerala has immense potential. The youth here shine when given opportunities. But we must ask why Kerala lags behind compared to other south Indian states,” he said.
‘LDF, UDF have failed’
“Why are the youth here not getting opportunities? Why is there a lack of investment here?" he asked.
He accused the incumbent Kerala government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of living on borrowed money. "People have lost faith in the two major parties in Kerala because of unfulfilled promises.
“If Kerala's youth migrate, investments won't come here. As a team, we must take the message of development to every home. Kerala must become as developed as India is becoming.
Cites Modi’s 'mission'
“The Modi government has taken India from a weak economy to the fourth-largest economy in the world… That same mission is ours in Kerala too," said Chandrasekhar.
“We need a Kerala filled with investments, jobs, and opportunities. For that change to happen, the NDA must come to power," he said.