KOZHIKODE: Six prominent persons from minority communities, including former Calicut University (CU) Vice-Chancellor Dr M Abdul Salam, would join the BJP, party state president P S Sreedharan Pillai said here on Tuesday. “Besides Salam, IUML leader the late Syed Umar Bafaqi Thangal’s grandson Syed Taha Bafaqi Thangal, counsellor Yahya Khan, Kozhikode National Hospital managing director Dr Jefin, former leader of pro-CPM NGO Union, Jayanandan, Dr Harshan Sebastian Antony, Vishwakarma Sabha leader Somasundaran and theyyam artiste Muraleedhran will accept BJP membership at a function in Kozhikode on Wednesday,” Pillai told media persons.
According to him, BJP membership applications have crossed five lakh in the state. “Thousands from the minority, Dalit sections have come to our fold. The overwhelming response to the membership enrolling programme is more than expected,” he said.
Salam hogged the limelight during his tenure in CU in 2011-15 as all students’, teachers’ and non-teaching staff unions were at loggerheads with him. The CU campus witnessed frequent agitations and protests during his tenure. To a query, Pillai responded that organisational election would be held in the state soon in the wake of the steep rise in membership.