Kochi : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader AN Radhakrishnan on Sunday said love jihad and narcotic jihad will be major issues in the upcoming Thrikkakkara assembly bypolls.
BJP has fielded state party vice president Radhakrishnan from Thrikkakkara where the bypolls will be held on May 31.
Briefing reporters here today, Radhakrishnan said, "For the past three months, the BJP as a team has completed preparations for the elections. The situation here is very favourable. Until 2011, the NDA had received 5,000 votes in Thrikkakara. Now it has increased 400 times. Therefore, there is a possibility of success when we increase two times more than this. The main focus of the campaign is on the development work implemented by the Narendra Modi government.
He said the "anti-people" measures taken by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's government in the state will be made known to the people. He stressed on the issues of religious minorities are of great concern.
"There is a great deal of public outrage and protest against the government for taking a false case against the Bishop of Pala. All this is taking place in the atmosphere of the election. The stone laying of K-Rail with the help of police without warning inside people's houses will also be discussed. Love jihad and narcotic jihad will be major issues. It is something that upsets the social balance. All sections of the people are against it. Murders, rapes, and suicides in the state recently are a matter of major concern," said the BJP leader.
Radhakrishnan, who is one of the senior leaders of the BJP in the state contested in Thrissur's Manaloor last year's assembly elections. The BJP's state vice president managed to gain 36,566 votes and finished in the third position.
Earlier, United Democratic Front (UDF) announced Uma Thomas its candidate for Thrikkakara and Left Democratic Front (LDF) named Jo Joseph as its candidate. )