Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP has asked its NDA allies except the BDJS if they can afford their campaign expenses if given seats to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Campaigning in a constituency would cost at least Rs 10 crore. The chances of small parties securing a seat from the BJP depend on their capability to fund their campaigns.
In response, the Kerala Congress led by PC Thomas and the Nationalist Kerala Congress have said they would reveal their financial capability to run the poll campaign once seats are allocated.
Socialist Janata Dal, Praja Socialist Party and Loktantrik Janata Dal, all constituents of the NDA, are yet to respond on the condition put forward by the leading partner BJP.
The minor parties find the demand a BJP tactic to deny them seats. The party believes BDJS (Bharat Dharma Jana Sena), which is the political front of the influential SNDP, has the capability to fund its own candidates.
The BJP leadership is of the view if minor parties are in the fray, it might put an additional financial burden on itself.
Smaller NDA allies have expressed their displeasure to BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai over its second-rung leaders leading the talks with them. They have also written to the central leadership against the BJP state leadership leaving them out of meetings with BDJS.
Read more: Latest on LS polls
