Kanyakumari LS Bypoll: BJP Projects Radhakrishnan As Union Minister

The BJP in a high blitz campaign in the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency is projecting its candidate Pon Radhakrishnan as a Union cabinet minister if he is elected in the by-elections to be held along with Assembly polls on April 6.

It was the Union Home Minister Amit Shah who had set the ball rolling while inaugurating the election rallies of Radhakrishnan at Kanyakumari on March 7. Shah had conducted a road show in the constituency after personally canvassing for votes by meeting voters through a door to door campaign.

Pon Radhakrishnan, a former Union Minister of State for Shipping and Finance was defeated in the last Assembly elections by Congress leader H.Vasanthakumar, who is the owner of Vasanth & Co, one of the largest home appliances group of Tamil Nadu.

Vasanthakumar passed away following Covid related issues, and hence the by-election was necessitated in the constituency.

Vasanthakumar's son Vijay Vasanth is now contesting against Pon Radhakrishnan.

The BJP campaign is specifically concentrated on the development projects initiated by Pon Radhakrishnan while he was Union minister of state. The campaign is in high blitz with all the national leaders who arrive in the constituency speaking to the public and press that Radhakrishnan will be a Union Cabinet minister if he wins from the constituency.

The campaign is also focusing on the inexperience of the 38 year old Vijay, who is a novice in electoral politics and was forced to enter the fray after his father's passing away...Vasanthakumar was a seasoned politician and had deep contacts in the constituency.

Pon Radhakrishnan while speaking to IANS said, "BJP is into a specific and focussed campaign and our aim is to continue with the development program which I had initiated during my tenure as Union minister from 2014-2019. Party leader and Union Home minister had announced to the people that I will be part of the ministry if elected."

However, the Congress camp is of the opinion that the anti-people policies of the Narendra Modi Government, especially the spiralling fuel prices will be a deciding factor in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congressmen are also banking on the sympathy wave towards Vijay as Vasanthakumar was a highly popular leader who had defeated the then Union minister Radhakrishnan by more than two lakh votes.

M.Kumaresan, Block Congress committee president, Kanyakumari while speaking to IANS said, "It will be a cake walk for our candidate, the young Vijay Vasanth...people are against Narendra Modi government and it will reflect in the Lok Sabha polls and there is a huge symapathy wave for Vasanthakumar Sir who was too popular in the constituency."