Hard bargaining among senior leaders for a seat of their choice and efforts to persuade the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) to join the race are reported to be holding back the announcement of the BJP candidates’ list for the Lok Sabha election in the State.
The main contention is learnt to be over the Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, and Palakkad segments where the party hopes to make remarkable gains. Almost all the leaders are keen on contesting from Pathanamthitta, which they deem a safe segment post-Sabarimala agitation.
Party sources told The Hindu that State general secretary K. Surendran was tipped to contest from either Pathanamthitta or Thrissur, but with the leadership offering the latter to the BDJS, Mr. Surendran has only one option. State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai’s candidature has been tossed up for Pathanamthitta. Of late, the name of another general secretary M.T. Ramesh too had been touted for the segment, sources said.
Reason for hesitation
The reluctance of BDJS leader Thushar Vellappally to contest has put the BJP in a quandary. The national leadership is learnt to be coercing him to join the fray, but Mr. Thushar has developed cold feet with Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan insisting that Yogam office-bearers would have to relinquish their posts to contest the election.
This warning is being cited as one of the reasons for Mr. Thushar’s diffidence to contest.
Unless the BJP national leadership takes a final decision on Thrissur, it would be difficult for the party to wrap up the candidate finalisation process. The BJP has roped in Congress leader and former Kerala Public Service Commission chairman K.S. Radhakrishnan to contest from Alappuzha. But the party’s hope of fielding Congress leader K.V. Thomas, who was unhappy over seat denial, in Ernakulam was dashed with Mr. Thomas refusing to leave Congress.
List likely today
The national leadership is learnt to have decided to field C. Krishnakumar from Palakkad again despite protest being registered by Sobha Surendran, who has been named for Attingal. Mr. Ramesh may be willing to contest only from Pathanamthitta. The differences are expected to be ironed out soon and the list is expected to be cleared on Monday.
