New Delhi: The Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) is likely to quit the National Democratic Alliance after the Front’s emphatic defeat in the Assembly polls.
BDJS sources said the party national president Thushar Vellappally had expressed willingness to step down as the convener of NDA. A decision on BDJS continuing in NDA would likely be made at its State council meeting in Kollam on Wednesday.
Though there have been indications of BDJS moving towards the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the party leadership declined a clear comment on whether the outfit would join the ruling alliance.
It has been pointed out that the BJP leadership ignoring BDJS forced the latter to rethink about continuing in NDA. The BDJS has also complained that BJP cadre had been reluctant to vote for its candidates.
The BDJS felt that its support had helped BJP increase its vote share to 15 per cent from the earlier six per cent. But BJP’s factionalism and trading of votes adversely affected NDA’s progress, the BDJS felt.
The junior NDA partner also felt that the alliance set-up was superfluous and BJP unilaterally took decisions elsewhere. BDJS alleged it was kept away from BJP’s victory rally (Vijaya Yatra), and thereby benefiting Pinarayi Vijayan.
BDJS activists had voted for LDF and UDF due to certain circumstances. BJP’s national leaders skipped campaigns in constituencies where BDJS candidates were contesting. BJP cadre, too, voted for the rival fronts.
BDJS sources also said the Centre had not kept its promise of accommodating the party in boards and corporations. They also alleged that BJP has been ignoring the Ezhava community.
A senior BJP leader, meanwhile, said if BDJS decided to quit NDA for LDF, it would be with the knowledge of some of the CPM and BJP’s top leadership. It should be seen as part of the formation of certain multiple political axis, and it won’t affect the BJP, he said.
