KOZHIKODE/ALAPPUZHA: BDJS leadership opposed the demand of a section of BJP leaders that the BJP should take over the Wayanad seat from the BDJS to give a competitive fight to Rahul Gandhi, the prime ministerial candidate of the Congress.
BJP state leadership had also accepted the formula as there were no national leaders ready to enter the poll fray where a defeat is certain.
With majority of minority votes, it is believed that the only demand of the BJP national leadership placed was to bring down the majority of Mr Gandhi below 1 lakh. However, Congress workers are on with campaign to receive Rahul Gandhi to Wayanad as majority workers still believe that at the last moment Rahul would declare his decision to contest in the constituency which is one of the safest of the Congress in the nation.
Wayanad DCC president IC Balakrishnan told DC that the final decision will be taken soon. “I hope for the best- his contest in the hilly region where he would win even without engage in physical campaigning”, he added.
BDJS list hinges on Rahul’s move
The BDJS is keeping its fingers crossed over Wayanad and Thrissur and will announce its candidates there only after Congress president Rahul Gandhi decides on Wayanad.
BDJS president Tushar Vellapally said Rahul’s move to contest from Wayanad had delayed the announcement of his candidature. The NDA will decide after knowing Rahul’s move. “The BDJS state council has asked me to contest from Thrissur. If Rahul comes to Wayanad, the plan may be changed. The general council meeting of the BDJS will decide on the matter,” Tushar said.
He also announced the BDJS candidates for three seats: Thazhava Sahadevan (Mavelikara), T..V. Babu (Alathur) and Biju Krishnan (Idukki).
The BJP Wayanad district committee has requested the state leadership to take back the seat from BDJS which has agreed to swap it if Rahul contests from there.
Tushar said the comment of Vellapally Natesan, his father and SNDP Yogam general secretary, that Tushar would fail if he contests from Thrissur was his personal opinion. “There is no need to link BDJS and SNDP. BDJS is a secular party and its two candidates are not from the Ezhava community. I will resign from the post of SNDP Yogam before filing my nomination,” he said.
