Lotus will bloom in Kerala, says SNDP's Vellapally Natesan

Kochi, May 16: SNDP Yogam general secretary V Vellappally Natesan, whose Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) is a key partner in BJP-led NDA in Kerala, on Monday (May 16) exuded confidence that "lotus will bloom" in the state assembly elections.

Natesan, who campaigned extensively along with top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure victory of NDA candidates, said "a wind of change is blowing across Kerala" which has been ruled alternately by Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led LDF.

"Golden 'lotus' will bloom in golden 'pot' on May 19, after counting of votes in Kerala," he said, referring to symbols of BJP and BDJS candidates in the elections. BJP is contesting 98 of the total 140 assembly seats in Kerala, while BDJS on 37. [Tamil Nadu, Puducherry Assembly elections (Live): Exit polls: AIADMK may take a hit]

BJP sewed up the electoral alliance with BDJS in March, hoping to make its presence felt in the hitherto bipolar political scenario in Kerala. "People of the state are fed up with both the LDF and the UDF. A wind of change is blowing across Kerala. No one can turn a blind eye towards this fact.

"Some people say that the pot will slip down and crash. Such sceptics will be proved wrong," Natesan said after casting his vote in Kanichukulangara in Alappuzha district.

BJP's alliance with the new party, formed by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, a powerful organisation of the numerically strong backward Ezhava community, has emerged as the political alternative to both LDF and UDF in several constituencies dominated by the Hindu community.

PTI