Thiruvananthapuram, May 5 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union Minister, V. Muraleedharan, on Tuesday described his victory from the Kazhakkoottam Assembly constituency as an endorsement of “pro-people policies” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after defeating the CPI(M) leader and Minister Kadakampally Surendran by a narrow margin of 428 votes.

Speaking to IANS, Muraleedharan said that his win marked a significant shift in Kerala’s political landscape, where the BJP-led NDA had long struggled to open its account.

“All these years, leaders of both the fronts (LDF and UDF) were saying that the BJP is not going to win even a single seat. Now we have registered an emphatic victory,” he added.

Recalling the BJP’s first-ever Assembly win in the state, Muraleedharan referred to veteran leader O. Rajagopal’s victory from Nemom in 2016, which critics had attributed to a “sympathy factor”.

“Last time when we (BJP) got the first seat in Nemom through Rajagopal, many said it was because he had been contesting for years and people wanted to send him to the state Assembly once. But this time, the victory is clearly for the policies being implemented under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the former Union Minister added.

Muraleedharan, a former Union Minister, emphasised that the Prime Minister’s campaign presence played a crucial role in energising party workers and boosting public confidence in the BJP.

“The Prime Minister’s presence is always a motivating factor. It raises the morale of party workers and enhances the confidence of the people in the BJP. When he addresses campaign rallies, people feel assured that if the BJP comes to power, it will perform — that is the track record of PM Narendra Modi,” he said.

The closely contested Kazhakkoottam seat witnessed an intense electoral battle, with Muraleedharan edging past Surendran in a tight finish, underlining the BJP’s growing footprint in a state traditionally dominated by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF).

Political observers view the result as a significant moment for the NDA in Kerala, suggesting a possible shift in voter sentiment, especially in urban Assembly constituencies like Kazhakkoottam.

With this victory, Muraleedharan has not only secured a personal political milestone but also delivered a symbolic breakthrough for the BJP in Kerala, reinforcing the party’s claim of expanding its base in South India.

–IANS

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