KOCHI: Giving credence to reports of growing discontent within the BJP against state president K Surendran, senior leaders P K Krishnadas, A N Radhakrishnan and M T Ramesh stayed away from Tuesday’s crucial state-level leaders’ meet in Kochi to discuss the party’s performance in the just-concluded by-elections. Krishnadas is BJP national executive member, Radhakrishnan state vice president and Ramesh state general secretary.
However, Surendran, put up a brave face, and claimed that there was nothing unusual in the trio’s absence. “All members may not be able to participate in all meetings.
There is no 100% attendance even in the Parliament,” he said. “The media is speculating that Krishnadas, Radhakrishnan and Ramesh are working as a faction. There is only one group in the party and that is BJP,” he asserted.
Ramesh told TNIE that he couldn’t attend the meeting due to personal commitments. “It was a meeting of the returning officers and district presidents to discuss the performance of the party in the by-elections. My presence was not essential,” he said.
‘Leaders from Surendran camp hijacked campaign’
Surendran said the meeting did not discuss BJP’s performance in the by-elections as he is yet to receive report from the district leaderships. The state executive will meet on December 7 and 8 to discuss the election results, he said. Meanwhile, BJP’s former Wayanad district president K P Madhu quit the party, saying he is fed up with the infighting and factional feud within the party. The groupism is preventing the growth of the party, he alleged.
Adding to the growing discontent, posters appeared at various places in Kozhikode district demanding ouster of K Surendran, V Muraleedharan and P Reghunath to “save BJP”. A senior BJP leader alleged that making state general secretaries mere spectators, certain leaders of the Surendran group had hijacked the election campaign in Palakkad.
Tuesday’s meeting decided to strengthen the membership drive . The revamping of the BJP at the booth and mandalam level will start in December and the election of district and state leadership will be held in January and February.
Surendran said the BJP will organise march to the offices of MPs demanding support to the Waqf Bill introduced by the Union government. The elected representatives have the responsibility to stand with the society in their fight to protect their property. He also demanded that the state assembly should withdraw the resolution opposing the Waqf Bill.