BJP celebrates O Rajagopal’s victory, to begin 'Vijaya Yatra' in Kerala from today

Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharatiya Janata Party will from Tuesday launch a three-day state-level "Vijaya Yatra" from Kannur district, celebrating the election of former union minister O Rajagopal, its first ever MLA in Kerala.

Rajagopal helped the BJP open its account in Kerala by winning the Neamom seat with a margin of 8,671 votes, defeating nearest CPI-M candidate V Sivankutty in the May 16 Assembly Elections.

The yatra is aimed at making the victory a grand event.

It would commence from Payyambalam in Kannur and party workers would give reception to Rajagopal at various centres before the Yatra reaches here on June 2, the day new elected MLAs would take oath, the party leaders said.

Apart from winning a seat, the party also managed to finish runner up in seven Assembly constituencies.

The BJP also increased its vote share from nearly 6 percent to 14 percent this time.

The saffron party, which used to fight electoral battle on its own so far, this time found an ally in the newly-formed party the Bharat Dharam Jana Sena of Sree Narayana Dharma Pripalana Yogam, an outfit of backward Ezhava community.

(With PTI inputs)