New Delhi: The final list of BJP candidates in Kerala is likely to be finalised Sunday. Party leaders from the state held a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah late into the night Saturday. The central leadership had suggested major changes in the draft submitted to it by the state leaders.
A final decision on the Lok Sabha candidates will be taken after the central leaders’ meeting with BDJS chief Thushar Vellappally in Delhi on Sunday. BDJS or Bharat Dharma Jana Sena, which was formed in late 2015, is an ally of the BJP in Kerala and a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency, where the BJP eyes victory, is the most sought-after one in Kerala. State president P S Sreedharan Pillai is the frontrunner for Pathanamthitta. Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Alphons Kannanthanam, who is a native of this region, want this seat to contest. Kannanthanam could get Ernakulam if he is not chosen for Pathanamthitta, which was the epicentre of the Sabarimala agitation in the recent past.
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BJP's state general secretary K Surendran might contest from Thrissur though his first choice is Pathanamthitta. Surendran is being considered for Thrissur as Thushar has belatedly decided to opt out of contesting Lok Sabha polls.
N T Ramesh’s chances are unclear after he too staked claim for Pathanamthitta. The central leadership has suggested Tom Vadakkan, who joined BJP a few days ago, be considered for a good seat in state. Vadakkan, a native of Thrissur, had worked as a Congress spokesman for long.
Only the candidature of former BJP chief and Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan from Thiruvananthapuram is a certainty as of now.
Shobha Surendran, who was supposed to contest from Palakkad, might be asked to choose Attingal, where P Krishnadas was front-runner so far. C Krishnakumar might get Palakkad instead.
