The cynosure of all eyes at the historic Thekkinkaadu Maidan on Thursday evening was Jacob Thomas, former director general of police, Kerala, who formally joined the BJP.
Dr Jacob Thomas, the agriculture scientist-turned-super cop of Kerala, was welcomed to the Hindutwa party by BJP national president J P Nadda as thousands of party cadre who had gathered for the public meeting gave the former a standing ovation.
A crusader against corruption in high places, Dr Thomas had been victimised by both the Fronts that ruled the State alternatively by denying him promotion and posting which were due to him as a senior IPS officer in the State.
His uncompromising stance against corruption as the chief of the vigilance department saw both the CPI(M) and the Congress coming together against this officer. Though the BJP has not made any announcement till now about the role to be played by Dr Thomas, it is widely believed that he is likely to be fielded as a candidate from an assembly constituency in Thrissur district.
Dr Thomas is the star recruit from the Christian community to join the BJP after Alphonse Kannanthanam, the IAS officer who quit the government service to fight corruption. Of late many opinion makers from the Christian community are casting their lots with the BJP. K T Thomas, the former judge of the Supreme Court, enjoys good relations with the BJP’s national leadership while the State leaders are known to consult him on sensitive issues.
It may also be noted that the Cardinals of the Catholic Church and the top priests of the Orthodox and Malankara Churches had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the recent past. Cardinal Alencherry had told after the meeting that the Church has no untouchability against the BJP. “Though the Church had some apprehension in the past against the BJP, it is all history. We do not have any special ties with any of the political parties,” Alencherry had told the media.
But how far the BJP would be able to make any inroads in Kerala is a million dollar question. The BJP in the State is a house divided with senior leaders who do not see eye to eye and the youth who have started demanding their due place in the party. There is a demand from the youth that party leaders who have failed successively in all the elections should give way to youngsters.