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P P Mukundan plays spoilsport

BJP insiders feel Mukundan is trying pressure tactics over the delay in his return.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If the threat raised by Mr P.P. Mukundan, former BJP general secretary, to contest from Nemom or Vattiyoorkavu as an independent candidate materialises it will damage the prospects of Mr O. Rajagopal and state BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan and the BJP’s hope of opening an account in the state Assembly. But BJP insiders feel that Mr Mukundan is trying pressure tactics over the delay in his return to the BJP and that he is unhappy over the RSS move to appoint him as state president of Hindu Aikya Vedhi.

After Mr Mukundan, 69, revealed his plans to enter the fray, he has been inundated with calls. DC had reported earlier that Mr Mukundan was peeved with Mr Rajagopal for not attending the meeting called by Sri Sri Ravisankar in Bengaluru a few months back regarding his return to the party.

Though Mr Rajagopal had promised to attend it, he backed out at the last moment. It is learnt that Mr Kummanam had spoken to Mr Mukundan only once after the former had taken charge and has so far not invited him to return to the party. But Mr Kummanam has been giving signals indirectly to Mr Mukundan.

He feels that not much has changed after Mr V. Muraleedharan passed on the baton to Mr Kummanam as the party president as the latter has been ‘helpless’ in taking a decision on his return. Sources told DC that Mr Mukundan was approached by several bigwigs belonging to both CPM and Congress soliciting him to contest the elections from Kannur as well as from a constituency in Thiruvananthapuram.

Meanwhile, Vaikundaswami Dharma Pracharana Sabha (VSDP) chairman and president of Indian National Kamaraj Congress Vishnupuram Chandrashekharan called on Mr Mukundan here and offered him support to contest the elections. VSDP has decided to give Manavaseva award to Mr Mukundan on March 12 following Vaikunta Swami Jayanti. The previous award winners include former KC (M) leader P. C. George and Gandhian P. Gopinathan Nair.

BJP party spokesperson J. R. Padmakumar told reporters here that Mr Mukundan had not announced his candidature. But the state BJP leadership is worried over the damage Mr Mukundan might do if he contests the elections. A prominent BJP source told DC that when the party can win at least three to five seats in the upcoming elections, Mr Mukundan’s tactics will harm the party.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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