THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP is facing one of its worst crises in recent times in the state. After severe drubbing in the assembly elections, the BJP finds itself entangled in the Kodakara black money heist case, causing a major blow to its image as a ‘party with a difference’. Meanwhile, the internal bickering too has intensified with a section of leaders alleging widespread irregularities in the disbursal of election funds by the state leadership.
Trouble started for the BJP after an RSS functionary and a former office-bearer of the Yuva Morcha reportedly confessed to the police that money, stolen from a car that was waylaid at Kodakara on April 3, was meant allegedly for the party’s election campaign. The money, first claimed to be `25 lakh and later revised to `3.5 crore, had reportedly come from Karnataka.
What followed next was a number of district-level leaders being questioned by the police. BJP state general secretary (organisation) M Ganeshan and state office secretary G Gireesan were also quizzed, with sources indicating that further probe may also lead to questioning of other senior leaders.
Denting the party’s image further, arguments over the Kodakara episode led to violent clashes between two sections of BJP workers in Thrissur. A BJP functionary, who blamed the Thrissur district leaders in a Facebook post, was suspended from the party. The BJP state leadership has distanced itself from the black money heist case. BJP state president K Surendran has maintained that the party’s election expenses are carried out as digital transactions, in a fully transparent manner.
The huge amount of money being spent by the BJP for election in Kerala, where it is not expected to win more than a couple of seats, is surprising. A party is evaluated on the basis of the moral stance it adopts on various issues. Unfortunately, BJP has proved to be a party with a difference when it comes to meddling with money in election. The state leadership too seems to be running after money instead of mobilising its cadre to fight an election,” opined J Prabhash, political analyst.
Rival factions in the state unit have raised serious complaints in connection with disbursal of election funds and have demanded a thorough internal audit. Central funding for the election was decided on the basis of the classification of constituencies into A+, A, B and C categories.
LAKSHADWEEP ISSUE
BJP was initially on the backfoot in Lakshadweep after a few party ‘functionaries’ quit in protest against the reforms being implemented by the Union Territory’s administrator. However, BJP was able to take up the matter with the Centre and elicit a positive assurance for islanders. BJP ‘prabhari’ (in-charge) of Lakshadweep and party’s national vice-president A P Abdullakutty met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and took up the islanders’ concerns. “The home minister has assured us that developmental reforms will be carried out only after taking all islanders into confidence,” Abdullakutty told TNIE. He said those who quit recently were not BJP functionaries as they had already quit the party when anti-CAA agitation was at its peak.
‘Few A+ seats got highest funding’
Dissident leaders said a few A+ constituencies received the highest funding, while others of the same category got less than half the amount. In B category seats, candidates loyal to the official faction were given five times the funds than what the other candidates received, they alleged.