BJP national leadership frowns upon Kerala unit

BJP Central election committee’s decision to defer approval of list of 22 candidates for Kerala Assembly elections submitted by the Kerala unit amounts to disapproval of the manner of functioning of the State unit.

It also shows that the national leadership of the party gives more importance than the State unit to allies especially the Bharatiya Dharama Jana Sena.  It is notable that the BDJS was demanding a few of the seats included in the list.

In fact, the State unit was appropriating to themselves the 22 key seats by choosing candidates for those seats. The prominent leaders of the State unit were accommodated in the list, in a bid to stall demands from the BDJS or others.

It is not unusual for the election committee approve lists in installments. So, it is clear that the objection is not exactly to absence of a full list, but to the State unit finalising the list without completing seat sharing talks.

The national leadership also wants that candidates with better prospects are fielded wherever possible instead of the party leaders appropriating seats for themselves.  Specifically, it wants cultural leaders and leaders with wider acceptance to be inducted as candidates with victory as an objective. This is why it has sought more details about the candidates being proposed by the State unit. It apparently feels that the candidature of some of the 22 persons in the list is problematic.

The national leadership had nominated Kummanam Rajasekharan as State president of the party because of their thinking on the same lines. However, Mr. Rajasekharan so far was not able to steer the faction-ridden State unit on the lines wanted by the central leadership.