Alappuzha: Aggrieved over the delay in fulfilling the promises made by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leadership including a Rajya Sabha seat to its chairman Thushar Vellappally, the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), along with some other allies, have dropped a clear hint of severing ties with the front.
With the raw driving a deep wedge in the alliance, the BDJS has so far chosen to stay away from the campaign for the Chengannur by-election.
A final decision on whether to stay put with the NDA will be taken at the party's state council meeting, to be held on Wednesday, it is learnt. The BDJS leaders are reportedly holding hectic parleys with the other allies of the front in the state.
Meanwhile, the NDA meeting, scheduled to be held in Chengannur on Sunday, has been postponed in view of the fresh developments.
The NDA constituents, including the BDJS, were hoping that their demands would be honoured before the Chengannur by-election. The BJP state leadership had also requested the Centre to resolve the complaints raised by its allies in Kerala. Following that, Thushar held a meeting with BJP national president Amit Shah in Bengaluru and attended the party's elections rallies in Karnataka.
The key demands put forth by the BDJS included a Rajya Sabha berth for its chairman and positions in Central boards and corporations for party members. However, Tushar did not figure on the BJP's first list of eight candidates for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha which was released last week. Though it was expected that the NDA leadership would announce a separate list of nominees from its allies, it did not happen either.
Realising that the BDJS and other constituents could play a significant part in the Chengannur by-election, the BJP state leaders had been trying hard to keep the alliance intact. In order to resolve the issue, BJP national joint general secretary B L Santosh had held talks with the office-bearers of the BDJS in Thiruvananthapuram the other day.
Meanwhile, dismissing the speculations over a possible BJP-BDJS split, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said that the BDJS continues to be an NDA ally and its leaders have regularly been attending the front’s State leadership meetings.
