PATHANAMTHITTA/THIRUVANANATHAPURAM : Swinging into damage-control mode, the BJP on Monday sought to assuage P C George even as it asked him to mind his tongue, a day after he launched a scathing attack on SNDP supremo Vellappally Natesan and his son and BDJS leader Thushar Vellappally, accusing them of conspiring to deny him the party ticket for Pathanamthitta.
On a day when BJP state president K Surendran advised George to exercise restraint when speaking in public, party candidate from Pathanamthitta, Anil K Antony, who was also at the receiving end of George’s acerbic tongue, visited the former Kerala Congress leader at his home in Poonjar and sought his blessings.
Though he promised all help to ensure Anil’s victory, George said he doesn’t think the latter will have the same level of support from the bishops that he enjoys. “I am now holding discussions to get their (bishops) support for Anil. I have their backing due to my direct interactions with them over a period of time,” he told reporters after meeting Anil. George had earlier said Anil was not a familiar face in Pathanamthitta and that it would be a tough task to get him introduced to the voters. In a virtual U-turn on Monday, he said everyone knows Anil’s father, A K Antony, who is the senior-most Congress leader in Kerala. This would make Anil’s job easier.
Anil said George had assured him all the support to ensure his victory. “P C George is one of the most senior politicians in the state. I will follow his advice,” said Anil. The ‘patch-up’ talks, however, came after much embarrassment for the BJP following open allegations by George on Sunday.
‘BJP considers Anil best candidate for Pathanamthitta’
Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Surendran said, “People, especially politicians, should maintain restraint while speaking in public.” Dismissing conspiracy theories on denying George’s candidacy, he said BJP considers Anil the best candidate for Pathanamthitta.
He ruled out action against George. Earlier in the day, Thushar Vellappally came out against George’s comments that Anil was an unfamiliar face in Pathanamthitta.
“If George continues his manner of speaking, it will result in more votes for Anil,” he said Thushar. “Everyone knows how George interacts. BJP should rein him in,” he said, adding that if George was the Pathanamthitta candidate he would not get any support from the churches.