Thiruvananthapuram: Political circles in Kerala are abuzz with speculation about popular cine actor Mohanlal joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The actor had called on prime minister Narendra Modi earlier this week, to apprise the PM about the activities of a foundation, Viswasanthi, that the actor has set up in the name of his parents. The foundation is setting up a cancer centre for the less-privileged.
BJP state president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai welcomed Mohanlal’s likely entry into his party, saying it would be a “matter of happiness”.
Political circles are speculating whether the BJP would use Mohanlal to contest against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency.
Pillai said the party’s state unit had not had any discussions with the actor regarding his entry into the party or about being a candidate.
BJP has only a lone MLA in Kerala, O. Rajagopal, and has struggled to make an electoral impression in the state.
In recent weeks the party has attracted resentment in Kerala after the BJP-led federal government decided to decline foreign aid from different countries for the reconstruction of the state in the wake of the flood devastation.
