BJP Kerala unit tries to put up a united face amidst growing internal rumblings over the defeat in Palakkad byelection

Kerala BJP leadership presents united front amidst internal rumblings, focusing on membership drive and organizational elections.

The Kerala leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to put up a united face ahead of the State executive meeting that began here on Tuesday (November 26, 2024) amidst the growing internal rumblings over the setback in the byelection held in Palakkad.

BJP Kerala State president K. Surendran blamed the media for fabricating stories of internal strife in the party while pointing out that the agenda of today’s State executive meet was to discuss various aspects related to the membership drive and the organisational election.

Also read | Parties in Kerala begin post-bypoll internal stocktaking

“The media will be disappointed after creating baseless stories that V. Muraleedharan, former Union Minister, had evinced interest to take up the role of the State president. For the last three days, you are behind such fake stories while ignoring the defeat suffered by the Congress party in the Maharashtra Assembly election and the byelection held in Chelakkara,” he said before entering the State executive meeting. Mr. Surendran refused to respond to queries on the allegation by BJP’s Palakkad municipal chairperson Prameela Sasidharan that Mr. Surendran was responsible for the flawed candidate selection in the Palakkad byelection.

BJP leader Sobha Surendran too evaded queries on the reported discontent and factional feud within the party. She said that her focus is on the forthcoming local body polls and claimed that the BJP will retain the Palakkad municipality, besides winning the Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur corporations. She asked whether Opposition Leader V. D Satheesan will be able to increase at least one seat for the Congress in the Palakkad municipality in the next election.

C. Krishnakumar, BJP’s candidate in the Palakkad byelection, termed Ms. Sasidharan’s allegation against the leadership as an emotional reaction after the poll debacle.