KOTTAYAM : Struggling for survival after its supremo’s loss in the 2021 assembly election, the Kerala Janapaksham (Secular), led by former MLA P C George, is likely to merge with BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Party leaders George and his son Shone George, who are in Delhi, met BJP national leaders and held primary talks regarding the merger on Tuesday.
George told TNIE that a final decision will be announced after thorough discussions with the BJP leadership. He acknowledged that a majority of party workers was in favour of merging with the BJP, but emphasised the need for extensive deliberations before reaching a conclusion.
George, who served as a legislator for 30 years, established Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) in 2019 after dissolving its previous iteration. Although Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) joined the NDA in 2019, George later distanced himself from the BJP-led coalition.
In the 2021 assembly elections, George contested as an independent candidate but failed to win from Poonjar constituency, for the first time in 25 years.
George hinted at a potential merger with the BJP amidst speculation that he would contest from Pathanamthitta constituency as an NDA candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Reports suggested that George requested the BJP state leadership to run as a candidate for Kerala Janapaksham (Secular), but the saffron party reportedly rejected the demand. Instead, the BJP state leaders demanded George to join the BJP rather than becoming an ally of the NDA.
George has faced political challenges since his expulsion from the Kerala Congress (M) in 2015 due to anti-party activities.
Despite promptly establishing Kerala Congress (Secular) with T S John, George was expelled from his party shortly before the 2016 assembly election.
However, he managed to win the Poonjar constituency as an independent candidate in the same election. Subsequently, he formed the Kerala Janapaksham party, which was later disbanded in 2019 to form Kerala Janapaksham (Secular).