Minister of State for Tourism and Rajya Sabha MP KJ Alphons has been fielded by the BJP in the Ernakulam constituency in central Kerala. Up against two formidable candidates of the CPM and the Congress, the 65-year-old is seen to have been handpicked by the party to make inroads into the Latin Catholic community, which form a big chunk of voters in the constituency. In sweltering Kerala summer, the Indian Express caught up with him to discuss his election prospects, the fallout of the Sabarimala agitation and the future of post-floods Kerala.