BJP Kerala unit in deep trouble as eight councillors in Palakkad decide to resign, NDA allies raise voice of dissent

Reacting to the reports, BJP state president K. Surendran said there is no crisis in the party and that nobody will leave the party.
BJP Kerala state president K Surendran.
BJP Kerala state president K Surendran.
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KOCHI: Trouble is brewing for the Kerala BJP as eight councillors of the party in Palakkad municipality, including chairperson Prameela Sasidharan, have decided to resign on Monday. The decision has been taken in protest against the appointment of Prasanth Sivan as district president. The leaders who have decided to resign include national council member N. Sivarajan and state treasurer E. Krishnadas. It is learnt that three more councillors have expressed their willingness to quit. If the BJP fails to dissuade the councillors, the party will lose power in one of its two municipalities.

Meanwhile, former BJP leader Sandeep Varier, who recently joined the Congress, has started discussions with the rebels to bring them into the Grand Old Party.

Reacting to the reports, BJP state president K. Surendran said there is no crisis in the party and that nobody will leave the party.

The crisis in Palakkad comes at a time when the NDA allies have raised voices of dissent, alleging arrogance and a disdainful approach by the BJP state leadership. A meeting of the Kottayam district committee of the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) passed a resolution on Sunday urging the state leadership to leave the NDA and explore possibilities of joining either the LDF or the UDF.

The resolution said that the BJP leadership failed to implement the promises made to the party, including the chairman post in various government bodies. The party, which joined the NDA nine years ago, has helped to widen the support base of the NDA by bringing the backward communities to the forefront. But the state leadership of the BJP is not even willing to discuss political issues with its allies. In these circumstances, the party should explore the possibilities of joining either the LDF or the UDF, the resolution stated. According to top leaders of the BDJS, almost all district committees have conveyed their displeasure at continuing in the NDA.

A meeting of other NDA allies in Kerala, including Kamaraj Congress led by Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan and CK Janu's Janadhipathya Rashtreeya Sabha, met last week and voiced their concern about the high-handedness of the state BJP leadership. According to sources, the allies decided to sever ties with the NDA but deferred the decision for 15 days after BJP state Prabhari Prakash Javadekar contacted them.

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