KOCHI: Union Minister V Muraleedharan and BJP state chief K Surendran faced severe criticism from their colleagues at the party core committee meeting held here on Sunday. The leaders, who supported former state president P K Krishnadas, alleged that crucial party decisions were taken by Muraleedharan, Surendran and general secretary in-charge M Ganeshan alone while others were ignored. The leaders demanded a comprehensive rejig in the organisation. The 11-member core committee meet was held in the wake of the party facing severe organisational crisis.
Besides the humiliating defeat in the recent assembly polls, the party has found itself in deep crisis following the Kodakara black money heist case as well as the allegations of Surendran paying Rs 10 lakh to JRS leader C K Janu for contesting from the Sultan Bathery assembly seat and Rs 2.5 lakh to BSP candidate K Sundara to withdraw from contesting in Manjeshwar. The first phase of the meet saw discussions on the party’s poll rout while in the second phase, leaders discussed the current situation after the black money case was reported.
Meet venue shifted after cops send notice
Kochi: The venue of the core committee meet, slated to be held at a hotel here, was shifted after the police sent a notice to the hotel authorities directing them not to allow any meetings flouting Covid norms. The party then shifted the meeting to its district office in the city. BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan alleged the notice was sent on the direction of the LDF gover-nment. “We were granted permi-ssion as per our request earlier.But, the police denied nod intentionally on Sunday,” he said.