In Kerala, BJP faces protests and a damning allegation that a mafia runs it

RSS ideologue and former editor of Organiser, R Balashankar, has created a flutter by accusing the state BJP of reaching a deal with the CPI(M) to ensure the victory of BJP's state president K. Surendran in Konni Assembly constituency and in return, field weaker candidates in two other constituencies.

Balashankar’s body blow to the BJP came following denial of a ticket to him from the Chengannur constituency. According to Balashankar, the party compounded the offence by fielding weak candidates in Aranmula and Chengannur, considered promising constituencies for the BJP. The RSS ideologue publicly doubted that the state leadership had entered into a deal with the CPI(M) to ensure Surendran’s victory in Konni and as a quid pro quo fielding weak candidates in Chengannur and Aranmula and ensure that CPI(M) wins the two seats.

Balashankar said he was sure of winning from Chengannur as he had enlisted the support of all leading communities, including Christians, Nairs and Ezhavas. He claimed that he had maintained good relations with the three communities which together constitute 75 per cent of the electorate. The BJP’s national leadership, he said, had given him the green signal. He had also informed BJP State president K. Surendran well in advance of his intention to contest. The Orthodox Christian faction had favoured him, thanks to his effective intervention to declare Cheppad St. George Church as an archaeological monument. The Nair Service Society(NSS) and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Sangham (SNDP) had also extended support to him, he claimed.

In a scathing attack on the BJP, the former editor of Organiser, he alleged the party in the state is being run by a mafia and it cannot dream of winning the state for the next 30 years if it continued with the present leadership.

RSS Pranta Karyavah Gopalankutty, however, said he was not aware of any discussion to field Balashankar from Chengannur. Union Minister V Muraleedharan muddied the waters by saying that Balashankar had no role in Kerala politics! Balashankar retorted by claiming that he had informed the Union Minister about his wish to contest from Chengannur. He said he reached Chengannur after discussions with leaders of the BJP and the RSS. “Kerala is not the exclusive property of anyone to say that I have no role here. Not even Pinarayi Vijayan will say that,” Balashankar retorted.

In a prompt response, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan scorned Balashankar’s allegation, saying that the CPI(M) would never join hands with communal organizations for electoral gains. However, his allegation of the BJP being run by a mafia could well be true, Vijayan said. It was the Congress-League-BJP alliance in the nineties which helped BJP to firm up its foothold in the State, he said.

Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala were quick to say that Balashankar’s revelations indicated a CPI(M)-BJP deal to defeat the United Democratic Front(UDF) in Kerala. The revelations have given a shot in the arm of the UDF. Balashankar’s angry outburst has certainly spoiled BJP's party. BJP leaders of the State will have to do a lot of explaining to rebut the allegations.

Meanwhile, the BJP has come out with its list of 115 candidates for the assembly election. The ‘highlight’ of the list is the decision of BJP state president K. Surendran to contest from two seats, Manjeswaram, where he lost by a slender margin of 89 votes in the 2016 assembly election, and Konni, the epicentre of the Sabarimala agitation.

While former Mizoram Governor and former state president Kummanam Rajasekharan will be the candidate from the party’s lone sitting seat of Nemom, Metroman E Sreedharan will contest from Palakkad. Super star Suresh Gopi will try his luck from Thrissur. Another senior BJP leader, former state chief P K Krishnadas, has been fielded from Kattakkada, a constituency where the BJP has considerable influence. Former union minister Alphons Kannamthanam has entered the fray from Kanjirappalli constituency in Kottayam district.

The suspense over the candidature of senior leader Sobha Surendran, who is not on good terms with the state BJP leadership, ended with she being given the ticket from Kazhakkoottam. This is one of the high-profile constituencies which Union Minister V Muraleedharan had set his sights on. The State leadership had tried its level best to deny her the ticket, and had at one stage tried to enlist Thushar Vellappally, president of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s ally, Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS). But he refused to contest. It may be mentioned that the BJP had come second in Kazhakkootam in the 2016 assembly polls. Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran is seeking a second term from the constituency.

As in West Bengal, BJP has also faced protests over the candidates list. The candidature of Pathanamthitta district president Ashokan Kulanada had sparked off widespread protests, with as many as 10 panchayat presidents resigning from their posts. The BJP also faced acute embarrassment as many candidates announced by the leadership decided against contesting. Some of them said their candidature was announced unilaterally and without obtaining their consent.

Observers believe it won’t be easy for the BJP to dismiss the allegations made by Balashankar as the ravings of a person denied a ticket to contest the election. He is too important a leader and the RSS ideologue is known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

L’affaire Balashankar will not die down easily. The next episode could, in all probability, unfold after the elections, deepening the BJP’s blue mood.

(IPA Service)

Views expressed are personal