Thiruvananthapuram | Senior BJP leaders visited the homes of various prominent Bishops in Kerala on Sunday, on the occasion of Easter, in what is being seen as a bid to forge close ties with the Christian community in the state as part of its political strategy to woo minority communities ahead of the 2024 general elections.

While Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan visited Archbishop of the Latin Catholic Archdiocese of Trivandrum Thomas J Netto, BJP national executive committee member PK Krishna Das met with Thalassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany in Kannur district.

However, both BJP leaders downplayed any political motives behind their visits and said it was just a friendly meeting on the festive occasion.

BJP leader AP Abdullakutty claimed that the visits were part of the party's national level campaign -- 'Sneha Yatra' -- to make space in the hearts and minds of the minority communities.

The visits also assume importance in the wake of veteran Congress leader AK Antony's son Anil joining the saffron party and Pamplany's statement last month that if the Centre promised to increase the price of rubber procurement to Rs 300 per kilogram, BJP's dearth of an MP from Kerala would be addressed.

Besides that, after BJP's poll performance in three minority dominated northeastern states recently, Modi had said that his party's alliance would form a government in Kerala considering the increasing support of minorities for it.