Amidst intense speculation about Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contemplating leadership change in its State unit, BJP leader in charge of Kerala Prakash Javadekar on Saturday threw his weight behind party State president K. Surendran.
Reports had mentioned Mr. Surendran’s position as tenuous. However, Mr. Javadekar, inaugurating a party meeting here pooh-poohed the idea. He said the party had never thought of removing Surendran from the post of State president. “There are rumours that BJP is going to change its office-bearers and its president in Kerala. I am telling you officially that these are false news spread by the media, CPI (M) and Congress. Surendran will stay as the president. He is a fighting man. The CPI (M) and Congress fear Modi’s rise and the BJP’s possible success in Kerala,” he said, adding that Surendran would lead the party in the State in the next Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Surendran was anointed to the top post in 2020. Under his leadership, the BJP fared poorly in the 2021 Assembly polls. It has been reported that the national leadership of the BJP is upset over the internecine feud in the party even after the thrashing suffered in the 2021 elections. The party leadership feels that the State unit has failed to convey the projects and good works of the Union government to the masses.
Mr. Javadekar said the party committees from the booth level would be expanded ahead of the polls.
