Thiruvananthapuram: State BJP president V. Muraleedharan and senior BJP leader O. Rajagopal are at loggerheads, it is learnt. BJP sources told Deccan Chronicle that the latter had complained to the national BJP leadership about the state chief for not providing him adequate funds for the Lok Sbha elections. Mr Muraleedharan had given preference to BJP general secretary K. Surendran in Kasargod in the allotment of funds, it is alleged.
Sources close to them told DC that the feud is one of the reasons why Rajagopal’s governor post has been long pending. A senior national BJP leader from the state said that Mr Rajagopal had raised the issue before Mr Nripendra Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The main grouse of Rajagopal was that Muraleedharan had not given him the same projection he deserved unlike the hoopla that was seen in Surendran’s constituency. Muraleedharan released the election fund for Surendran and it took a while for the state leadership to announce Rajagopal’s candidature though the media had reported it well in advance,” said a top BJP leader.
Another state BJP leader said that when Mr Muraleedharan was given a second term, several leaders, including Mr O. Rajagopal, had conveyed their displeasure to the national organizing secretary Ramlal and national general secretary P. Murlidhar Rao. However, Mr Muraleedharan braved all odds and is continuing in his post as state president.
Efforts to contact them failed as they were in New Delhi to attend the national council meet on Saturday.
