Kollam: In the backdrop of Christian outreach failing to deliver results in the local body elections, the BJP has decided to give priority to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). The issue will come up for discussion at the state core committee meeting scheduled for January 3. At the state office-bearers’ meeting held in Kannur, there were demands to give greater importance to SC and OBC outreach. The party plans to approach not only SC organisations but also smaller community organisations within Hindu groups.

A list has been prepared of SC and OBC leaders who need to be met personally. BJP leaders claim that the party received SC votes in large numbers across the state in the local body elections. In several SC-dominated areas of southern Kerala that were earlier strongholds of the CPM and CPI, the BJP made gains. A section of leaders argues that those from SC and OBC communities who join the BJP will not drift away, and that there will not be the kind of swing seen with Christian votes.

For SC outreach, the BJP had earlier entrusted committees led by Kummanam Rajasekharan and P Sudheer, and for OBC outreach, a committee led by KK Anish Kumar. However, the importance given to Christian outreach was not extended to SC and OBC outreach, and no activities took place.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had received Christian votes to a reasonable extent. But these were almost completely lost in the local body elections. Except for a few panchayats in areas influenced by PC George, Christian outreach did not yield results elsewhere. Leaders assess that there should not be major expectations from this vote base even in the Assembly elections. They also argue that the stand taken by the BJP’s state leadership in the incident involving the arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh resulted in neither gaining Christian votes nor retaining Hindu votes. However, a section of leaders remains hopeful that the lost Christian votes may return in the future.