BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao is dismissive of those impatient to see the BJP candidate list for Kerala. “Where is the urgency,” the party leader in charge of Kerala asked, seemingly amused.
“The notification is yet to come, and Kerala elections is only in the third phase,” he said. For Kerala, the notification will be issued only on March 28. When he was told that the LDF has already finalised its list, he almost had a look of pity on his face. “The LDF has just a small area to look after,” he said.
Nonetheless, Rao said that the BJP candidates for Kerala would be announced in “two to three days”. Rao was in the capital on Wednesday to hold discussions with top state BJP leaders before finalising the candidate list.
Pillai jumps the gun
But the BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai had in mid February claimed to have drawn up a 'candidate list', Rao was reminded. “The state president must have done some exercise. He has the right to. But it cannot be the final thing,” Rao said. “Only structured recommendations are accepted in the party. Otherwise it cannot be considered formal,” he said. The state president's candidate list in February provoked so much of anger within the party that he had to deny that there was any such list.
Rao also made it clear that a candidate list cannot be finalised without going through the candidate selection process put in place by the party. “Our central election committee has still not sat for a discussion. How can Kerala be an exception,” Rao said, hinting at the immaturity of Pillai's February claim.
“Tell me whether the BJP has declared the name of any candidate, anywhere in the country. Not even Narendra Modi's candidature has been publicly declared,” he said with a smile that seemed to ask whether he needed to tell anything more.
Sabarimala, a new turn
Rao also objected to the interpretation that infighting in the state unit was delaying the preparation of the candidate list. He wants it put differently. “You call it infighting. We call it competition,” he said. “There is internal democracy in our party, and of course, there are multiple claims to a single seat. We call it competition,” he said. “Don't you think that two to three claimants for a seat is reasonable? How can you find fault with this,” he asked.
The BJP leader also offers a fresh spin to the charge that the BJP made a sudden U-turn on the entry of women into Sabarimala after the Supreme Court verdict. It was earlier alleged that many RSS and BJP leaders had advocated for women's entry into Sabarimala. “People's sentiments have made us realise the truth of the situation,” he said and added: “This is a fresh turn, not a U-turn.”
Joseph and Vellappally
Rao neither confirmed not ruled out that his party was in touch with P J Joseph who is smarting under the snub delivered by the Mani faction of the Kerala Congress. “We are exploring the possibility of creating relationships and partnerships with many groups. We have no inhibition to get in touch with Christian groups. In fact, we have had alliances with Christian parties in other parts of the country,” he said.
He also seemed least worried about the divergent approaches of Bharathiya Dharma Jana Sena and its parent organisation, the SNDP. Though the BDJS is strongly with the BJP, the Yogam supremo Vellappally Natesan has demonstrated a definite tilt to the Left. “We have full trust in the SNDP,” is all Rao cared to say.
