BJP's K Surendran 'deeply pained' at exclusion of IUML's AKM Ashraf from VD cabinet

Kasaragod: The exclusion of Kasaragod -- long seen as one of Kerala’s most neglected districts -- from V D Satheesan's cabinet despite the United Democratic Front (UDF) winning four MLAs in the district for the first time in 35 years has triggered disappointment across political lines. But what caught many by surprise was former BJP state president K Surendran openly expressing support for his electoral rival, A K M Ashraf, and lamenting that he was not made a minister.

In a Facebook post around 10.30 pm on Sunday, Surendran said it was “deeply painful” that Ashraf, who won Manjeshwar with an impressive majority, had been denied a cabinet berth.

Surendran, who contested from Manjeshwar for the fourth time, lost to Ashraf by 29,252 votes, while the BJP’s vote share in the constituency dropped by 1.65 percentage points to 36.05%. In 2021, he lost to Ashraf by only 745 votes.

“I believe that in politics, there are only opponents, not enemies,” Surendran wrote in his good night message. “Why do I say this? Because I had sincerely hoped that Kasaragod would get a ministerial berth. The reason is simple: Kasaragod remains one of Kerala’s most underdeveloped districts -- in education, healthcare, industry, basic infrastructure, and across almost every other sector. “That is why it is deeply painful that A K M Ashraf, who won from Manjeshwar with an impressive majority, was not given a ministerial position.”

Earlier, Kasaragod MP and Congress leader Rajmohan Unnithan had also publicly pitched for Ashraf’s inclusion in the cabinet.

Of the five legislators from Kasaragod district, Ashraf is the only two-time MLA in the 16th Legislative Assembly.

Only two MLAs from Kasaragod were ever made ministers after the district was formed in 1984. In the first Pinarayi Vijayan government (2016-2021), CPI's E Chandrasekharan, a three-term MLA from Kanhangad, served as revenue and housing minister and played a key role in rolling out Kerala’s digital land survey. He was considered the No. 2 in the government.

Before that, the district had no representation in the Oommen Chandy government (2011-2016), and again went without a minister in the second Pinarayi ministry (2021-2026), despite electing three Left MLAs.

The other major cabinet face from Kasaragod in recent decades was IUML's Cherkalam Abdullah, who was made minister for local self-government by A K Antony in 2001. During his tenure, the state expanded Kudumbashree and introduced performance auditing for local body officials. Cherkalam Abdullah served until 2004, after which he was replaced by Kutty Ahammed Kutty, the IUML MLA from Malappuram district, when Oommen Chandy formed his first government after succeeding Antony.

Before Kasaragod became a district, socialist leader N K Balakrishnan, who represented the erstwhile Hosdurg (now Kanhangad) and later Udma constituencies, served as health and co-operation minister in the C Achutha Menon government from 1970 to 1977, the longest-serving ministry in Kerala’s history.

Another minister from that era was A Subba Rao of the CPI. He served as irrigation minister in the first E K Nayanar's first government, though that government lasted less than two years (1980-1981).

Despite Surendran rooting for Kasaragod and A K M Ashraf, his message drew both approval and scepticism. To be sure, during the BJP’s internal post-election review, party leaders had criticised Surendran for failing to nurture the constituency after his narrow defeat there in 2021.

One Facebook user, Sreekumar Naik, commented under his post: “Shedding crocodile tears,” a remark that went on to become the top-voted comment.

Another user said that had Surendran been in the Congress instead of the BJP, he would probably have become a minister by now.

“I believe you said it with sincerity, without trying to stir up trouble," wrote Hashim, an engineer based in the UAE. "What you said is 100% correct. Kasaragod has always faced neglect. The Indian Union Muslim League should have made him a minister."

“Sir, what you said is 100% true," wrote Ajnas Kayakkody, another NRI. "There is a strong feeling among the people that the northern region has not received the attention it deserves in sectors such as roads, railways, healthcare, education and industry."