THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While BJP state president K Surendran and national vice-president A P Abdullakutty have been trying to brush off the controversy regarding party state vice-president Sobha Surendran’s open outburst against the party leadership, things are not as rosy as they sound.
According to sources, Sobha was hopeful of being named the national president of Mahila Morcha. But that did not materialise. Irked by the ‘rejection’, she wrote to the central leadership that Surendran and Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had thwarted her chances. The inner party relations started souring eight months ago when she was removed as the state party secretary and made vice-president. She did not even take charge for several months. Sources said she did not accept the party’s decision to include A N Radhakrishnan, who was appointed vice-president along with her, into party’s core committee. Her chances of getting a national berth were further dented when Vanathi Srinivasan, former Tamil Nadu state vice-president was named chief of National Mahila Morcha.
A BJP leader close to her told TNIE she had complained to the central leadership. “Sobha is awaiting a response from central leadership. She was also hoping to get accommodated in the core committee, but that also did not happen,” this leader said.