Kochi: BJP leader PK Krishnadas has asked the central leadership to take his name off the list of probable contenders for a Lok Sabha ticket from Kerala amid intense tussle for candidature. The central executive committee member told party's national chief Amit Shah that his decision was meant to make candidate selection easy and not in protest.
Krishnadas had contested the Kerala Assembly polls from Kattakkada – which comes under Attingal Lok Sabha Constituency – in 2011 and 2016. His name was considered for this seat after Krishnadas doubled his vote share in 2016. He is a party 'prabhari' (in-charge) in Telangana.
BJP’s candidate selection has become complicated because of many factors - decision to give five seats to ally BDJS, ticket for party-switchers KS Radhakrishnan and Tom Vadakkan, prime minister’s insistence on contesting Alphons Kannanthanam from the state. (BJP and BDJS (Bharat Dharma Jana Sena) are constituents of the NDA, the National Democratic Alliance.)
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is reportedly unhappy with the ongoing discussions to select the NDA candidates for the 20 constituencies in the state. The RSS, the mentor of BJP, is perturbed over the delay in announcing candidates.
Disagreements are detrimental to BJP’s chances, the RSS had observed.
The BJP top leadership believes the party can win Pathanamthitta. NSS has openly backed the party this time and it claims its Christian base has increased. If more traditional Congress voters among majority community can be swayed, Pathanamthitta can be won.
BJP central leadership’s decision will be crucial for the Pathanamthitta seat where its Kerala chief P Sreedharan Pillai is considered the frontrunner currently. A section of BJP leaders is lobbying to field K Surendran, BJP's state general secretary, from the seat. Many Surendran supporters asked Amit Shah to consider his selection by posting messages in this regard on the latter's Facebook page.
Former state president Kummanam Rajasekharan’s return from governorship in Mizoram provides a huge hope for Thiruvananthapuram seat where the party candidate had came second. He is considered a worthy opponent for incumbent Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. A strong triangular fight involving CPI's C Divakaran will be beneficial for Kummanam, the party believes.
