The Kerala BJP unit's efforts to woo the Christian community appear to be wobbling after a heated exchange between the Church and two prominent Christian leaders.
Former MLA PC George and his son Shone George, BJP state vice-president, criticised a bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church for allegedly secretly calling up nunneries and asking its members to vote for the Congress-led UDF in the recently held assembly polls in Kerala.
The row began after PC George called certain Church leaders and bishops 'shameless' for openly propagating their political views, while his son Shone George hit out at the Church-run 'Deepika' daily for issuing an editorial against the BJP over the FCRA bill.
Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, Pala Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, issued a veiled warning to the BJP, saying 'threats will not work here'.
The BJP state unit assesses that the FCRA bill has dealt a political setback to it in the assembly elections held on April 9.
The BJP has spent the last few years conducting outreach to Christians in the state, but the Church's editorial against the FCRA bill on election day is seen as a setback.
Senior BJP leader KS Radhakrishnan said the counting of votes on May 4 will determine whether there is a break in Christian support for the party.
