Thiruvananthapuram: The National Democratic Alliance was formally launched in Kerala on Saturday, with the alliance promising land for all landless within two years.
The announcement was made by federal minister for finance Arun Jaitley.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which heads the NDA, is yet to win a seat in the Kerala assembly, but the party is hopeful that the NDA in Kerala, which has the BJP and the Bharatiya Dharma Jana Sena party led by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan as the key constituents, will be able to make a mark in the state this time.
The NDA’s manifesto also includes promises like a second land revolution, government employment for all adivasi youth who have educational qualifications, regulation of the liquor sector, and a housing scheme in the name of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru.
Besides the BJP and the BDJS, the NDA alliance in Kerala has eight smaller parties. This is the first time that the BJP is contesting in Kerala under an alliance framework.
Pre-poll surveys have shown that the party may win three-five seats in the 140-member assembly. More than the number of seats the party picks up, its relevance comes from the influence it will wield in a majority of the constituencies, where the number of votes that the BJP wins will be decisive in the victory of the Left or United Democratic Front candidates.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is expected in the state in the final week of election campaign to give a push to the BJP’s prospects in Kerala. Modi is likely to spend five days in the state and address half a dozen election rallies.
When the time elapsed for submission of nominations on Friday, a total of 1,647 nominations were received for the 140 constituencies. Scrutiny of the nomination papers is being carried out on Saturday, and candidates have time until Monday to withdraw their nominations.
In the last assembly elections in 2011, a total of 1,373 nomination papers were filed. Kerala goes to the polls on May 16.
