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The BJP in Kerala seems to have sounded the bugle in advance of next year’s Lok Sabha elections, announcing that it would welcome Malayalam superstar Mohanlal into the party if he decides to join it.
State party chief PS Sridharan Pillai made said the highly decorated actor would be an asset for the party. He did not rule out the prospect of fielding him from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency.
If Mohanlal does take the political plunge and join the BJP, he would follow in the footsteps of fellow actor Suresh Gopi, who was made a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha two years ago.
Mohanlal’s entry into politics would be keenly watched, given that in neighbouring Tamil Nadu superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have already announced the birth of their respective political outfits.
Rumours had begun flying thick and fast after Mohanlal tweeted a picture of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom the actor invited to an event being hosted by the Vishwa Santhi Foundation, a charity spearheaded by him.
The meeting that happened ‘on the auspicious day of Janmashtami’ and was followed by the actor’s Facebook post, which generated a lot of political interest in Kerala.
The 58-year-old Mohanlal said he had briefed the Prime Minister about his charity’s work. Modi, in turn, assured all support and offered to participate in the Global Malayalee Roundtable to formulate futuristic solutions for a new Kerala.
The Prime Minister went on to tweet about his “wonderful meeting with Mohanlal Ji”. “His humility is endearing. His wide range of social service initiatives are commendable and extremely inspiring,” the tweet said.
Meanwhile, the actor himself has scoffed at any idea of joining politics, citing a busy professional schedule.
But he has enderared himself to the ideology Sangh Parivar, thanks to an eclectic mix of tweets and Facebook posts that have vibed well with the leadership of the BJP, as well its rank and file. He has, on many occasions, expressed his respects to the Army jawans by extolling their valour and sense of duty. The actor himself was inducted into the Territorial Army in 2009 as an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel.
The BJP has been trying, without much success, to expand its influence in the State, which has been dominated by the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and the Congress-headed United Democratic Front for decades.
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