Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 16 (IANS): The Congress in Kerala is feeling the heat as the state unit of the BJP has commenced an aggressive outreach for the Christian community.

The Congress, which has lost two consecutive Assembly elections in Kerala to the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front has to somehow maintain its vote bank.

With the major Christian political party of Kerala, the Kerala Congress (Mani) already in the Left Front, the Congress is feeling the heat. With the Congress' repeated failure in the state and Centre, the party knows that political parties with community leanings would join the forces that are in power.

The BJP has already commenced reaching out to the Christian community and on Easter day, the senior leaders of the party met Cardinal George Alenchery, Bishop Joseph Pamplani, Bishop Thomas Netto and other senior Christian clergy members.

While the BJP said that it was only a friendly reach out to the Christian community, Congress has felt the heat and senior leaders of the party, including KPCC president, K. Sudhakaran and Opposition leader, V.D. Satheeshan has brought to notice the earlier "deeds of the Sangh parivar forces that were against the Christian community".

The killing of Graham Stanes, the death of Catholic priest Stan Swamy in prison and many attacks against churches across the country were highlighted by the Congress party. The Congress state president, K. Sudhakaran met the Bishop of Thalassery, Joseph Pamplani in a bid to defuse the situation that the Bishop was leaning towards the BJP.

The state Congress is conducting a high-level meeting on Thursday (April 20), and the church leaning towards the BJP would be a major subject of discussion.

A senior Congress leader while speaking to IANS said, "The Congress has to do some serious firefighting or otherwise the Christian community will shift its position towards the BJP as they have power at the Centre and will do anything to woo the Christian community."