BJP confident of opening its account in May 16 polls

T'puram: After drawing a blank in successive assembly elections in Kerala, BJP today expressed confidence it would open its account in the May 16 assembly polls.

Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent charge), Rajiv Pratap Rudy said BJP has reached the north and west and is moving east as well.

The south would soon see emergence of the BJP and reap the benefits of development policies introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.

"When BJP was formed in 1980, we had only two MPs in Lok Sabha. That time no one thought we could ever form a government at the Centre. But today we have emerged as the single largest party with 282 seats. I can assure something similar is soon going to happen in Kerala," he said.

Rudy, on a three-day campaign visit in Kerala, addressed NDA conventions in Thrissur, Malappuram and Palakkad.

He said the party today has governments in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Goa. "None would ever have thought we would form a government in J&K. But it is a reality for all to see today," he said.

Noting Kerala is highly educated and industrious, he said the state now needs to quickly adapt to changes the country is seeing under the NDA government.

Rudy said the PM has launched several schemes for the benefit of common people, farmers, poor and vulnerable. These need to reach the last mile and the last person.

"We have launched an application in Malayalam highlighting work done by our central government for welfare of the people and the state," the Minister said.

Rudy also addressed the Mahabharatham Dharmarakshana Sangamam at Kozhikode and said, "Our dharma teaches us to show compassion to all irrespective of caste, religion or status. We are for all religions and respect all religions."

Noting that the NDA government would complete two years of its tenure next month, he said not a single BJP Minister at the centre has any charge of corruption against him.

"We are matching peoples aspirations with zero tolerance to corruption. Kerala will see the same if we are given the responsibility to serve the state," he said.