With the partners of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) registering their strong discontent with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the delay in sharing boards and corporations even three years after the coalition attained power at the Centre, the issue is now slated for discussion in the presence of BJP national president Amit Shah when he visits Kerala on June 2.
NDA partners were vocal in their protests against the delay at the leadership meeting of the coalition held here on Saturday. They asked the State leadership of the BJP to be proactive in ensuring a fair deal for the partners.
However, BJP State president Kummanam Rajasekharan told the media after the meeting that there were no differences within the alliance over sharing of the central boards and corporations. He said it was for the Union government to take action regarding such arrangements. He ducked questions on the absence of Thushar Vellappally, NDA State convenor and leader of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), at the media briefing, maintaining that Mr. Vellapally had gone to attend a wedding.
Among the NDA partners, the BDJS has been particularly vocal about the delay in sharing of positions. The meeting also discussed the alliance’s performance in the recent Malappuram bypoll, with some partners blaming the NDA candidate’s uninspiring performance on the lack of coordination within the grouping.
Meanwhile, the alliance will dispatch a team to Delhi to apprise Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of the plight of rubber planters in the State. The team will also register the State grouping’s protest against the Union government’s move to shut down the regional offices of the Rubber Board.
The NDA will hold week-long protests, from May 24 to 30, against the alleged anti-people policies of the State government, which is completing a year in office.
