Speaking to The News Minute over phone, V Gopakumar -a marketing professional who is all set to contest as the NDA candidate from the Kalamassery constituency in Ernakulam- sounds super-confident of the third front establishing its roots for the first time in Kerala.
Owing allegiance to the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) formed last December by the Sri Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) general secretary Vellappally Natesan, Gopakumar says, “Though BDJS as a party is not even six months old, the ideology that the party stands for was long ignored by others. The party comprises former Left and Congress members who joined BDJS to register their utter disgust at the rampant corruption prevalent in the LDF and the UDF.”
He does admit to the drastic ideological shift that such a political move entailed, but is quick to aver that the new party’s ideology is to usher in equality in Kerala society.
Mollywood actor and Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi recently campaigned for him, something which he hints at with a tinge of pride: “Of all the ‘NDA’ constituencies, Suresh Gopi came to my constituency”.
When asked about Vellapally constantly branding the Ezhava community as a definite vote bank, Gopakumar dismisses the question as a case of mistaken assumptions by the media.
He states: “People like me are attracted to the BDJS because of the equality factor. The Indian constitution guarantees a person’s freedom of worship, life and equality. But with the minority-majority segregation in our society, equality simply vanishes.”
The unsatisfied ‘majority’ –according to him- includes Hindus ranging from the Ezhava to the Namboothiri communities. Prod a bit more and Christians and Muslims too get added to the list.
“When we went to Calicut, we were received by Muslims. We stand for equality for all,” he reiterates.
He genuinely believes that Keralites are tired of voting the LDF and the UDF in and out of power for so long and hence genuinely look forward to a third alternative: “This time, voters will not have to cast negative votes, as the NDA is here to garner the maximum number of positive votes.” He goes on to cite the example of the NDA rule at the Centre as “an extremely fulfilling one”.
Both the BDJS and BJP –he feels- will benefit from the alliance: “Till now the BJP had tried to take on the two fronts all alone. But with this alliance, we look forward to the common objective of giving the people an alternative to vote for,” he affirms.
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