Hemanth Kumar By

BENGALURU: India’s IT capital is set to take the poll buzz in Kerala to a new height this summer. A 1000-member strong BJP cyber team in Bengaluru is preparing to launch a massive campaign over the next 2 months as part of the party’s mission to emerge as an alternative for UDF and LDF in Kerala in the Assembly election to be held on May 16.

BJP Bengaluru unit, which recently held a convention of its Malayali supporters settled in Bengaluru, is on the overdrive after receiving an enthusiastic response. “Hundreds of Malayalis from various professions, including the IT sector have volunteered to take a plunge in campaigning for BJP in Kerala. Buoyed by the huge response we have initiated the registration process to use their services in an organised manner,” said, Chennamallikarjun Patil, Convener of Karnataka BJP Communication Cell.

The party is drawing up plans to convene one more conclave of Malayali BJP supporters in Bengaluru within a week to draft them for campaigning work at ground zero in Kerala and the cyber world using the social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.

“Already over 40 of them have expressed their eagerness to go and campaign in their native places in Kerala for BJP candidates. This number is expected to cross 200 after the next conclave. As for the highly educated professionals who are keen to be part of the BJP social media team in Bengaluru, the number is expected to cross 1000,” Patil told Express.

Most of the enthusiasts who have shown interest to volunteer are ready to devote 1 week to 2 months for campaigning. The party would only coordinate with local district BJP units in Kerala for using the services of these volunteers effectively, Patil said.

An orientation programme would be organised for these volunteers to educate them about BJP’s core ideology, history, poll issues of the party in Kerala, key points to highlight ‘misrule of successive UDF and LDF governments in Kerala’ and as to why BJP led NDA deserves a chance to provide an alternative for the two political fronts that have ruled the state for over 6 decades, Patil explained.

The social media team being enrolled in Bengaluru, would be in addition to the one that is associated with Kerala BJP. BJP hopes to motivate atleast 50 per cent of those Malayalis in Bengaluru who have retained their voting rights in Kerala to go there and exercise their franchise in favour of the saffron outfit.