THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vellapally Natesan’s Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) will contest in 37 seats in the Assembly elections scheduled for May 16. The seats were finalised after marathon talks with the state leadership of the BJP here on Monday.
BDJS Seats
BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said the BJP and BDJS will contest the elections unitedly with total faith in each other.
The seats set aside for BDJS are as follows: Vamanapuram, Varkala, Kovalam, Kollam, Eravipuram, Karunagapally, Kunnathur, Thiruvalla, Ranni, Kayamkulam, Kuttanad, Cherthala, Aroor, Vaikom, Poonjar, Ettumanoor, Idukki, Thodupuzha, Udumbanchola, Paravoor, Kalamassery, Kunnathunad, Vypeen Kothamangalam, Kaipamangalam, Kodungalloor, Nattika, Chalakkudi, Ollur, Shornur, Mannarkad, Nilambur, Kozhikode South, Thiruvambadi, Perambra, Peravoor, Kanhangad.
‘Seat-Sharing Talks to End by March 26’
Kummanam Rajasekharan said that seat-sharing talks with NDA allies will be completed by March 26 and the official announcement regarding seats and candidates would be made on March 27. In the first week of April, a state-level convention of leaders of all NDA factions will be held either in Ernakulam or Thrissur.
Suresh Gopi’s Candidature
No decision has been taken on the candidature of actor Suresh Gopi, Kummanam Rajasekharan said.
The BJP had earlier announced a preliminary list of 22 BJP candidates. The remaining seats in which the BJP will contest will be decided after talks with the NDA allies, he said.
Talks were on with the P C Thomas’s Kerala Congress, the Rajan Babu faction of JSS and T S John’s Kerala Congress (Secular), he added.
V Muraleedharan, P K Krishnadas, M T Ramesh and other senior BJP leaders were present at the meeting. The BDJS was represented by its president Thushar Vellapally and other leaders.