The confusion within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam over their alliance for the elections to the local bodies was out in the open when the deadline for filing nominations ended on Wednesday.
While there was a clear understanding between the two organisations in some corporations and district panchayats, there was none in others.
BJP sources said six SNDP Yogam candidates will contest on the lotus symbol in the 100-seat Thiruvananthapuram corporation, two in the 26-seat district panchayat, 12 in block panchayats and more than 100 seats in panchayat level in Thiruvananthapuram district.
The BJP is contesting 50 of the 55 divisions in Kollam corporation. “We may support three to five candidates put up by the Yogam,” a BJP leader said. In the district panchayat, the BJP has fielded 17 candidates and no decision has been taken on the remaining nine seats. In Pathanampthitta, the BJP plans to leave two to three seats for the Yogam.
There is no formal BJP-Yogam tie-up in Alappuzha district. The BJP has announced candidates to all 23 divisions of district panchayat.
The party has given one seat to the Yogam in the Kottayam district panchayath. However, candidate’s symbol will be decided only by Thursday.
The Yogam has got no seat in Idukki district panchayat as the Mullaringadu division which it claimed turned out to be a seat reserved for the scheduled tribes.
“All our candidates for the Kochi corporation are contesting on the ‘lotus’ symbol though we have entered into an agreement with the SNDP,” said N Saji Kumar, general convenor of BJP’s Kochi corporation election committee.
The party is contesting in 72 out of the 74 divisions and will support independent candidates in two divisions. The party is contesting in all the 24 divisions in the district panchayat in a similar manner.
The BJP has kept aside nine seats for community organisations like SNDP and NSS in the 55-member Thrissur corporation. Of this, three will be given to BJP members who are part of SNDP.
There has been no formal tie-up in Palakkad district panchayat, BJP leaders said. However the party will support two candidates put up by the Yogam in Palakkad municipality.
The BJP has given three wards--Kovoor, West Hill and Thoppayil-- in Kozhikode corporation to SNDP. In Malappuram, the BJP has not taken a decision on the number of seats to be given to SNDP in the district panchayat and municipalities.
The BJP is contesting in all seats to the Wayanad district panchayat. It will support the SNDP member contesting on ‘lotus’ symbol at Udayamkunnu ward in Kannur Corporation.
In Kasaragod, the BJP-Yogam combine will field four candidates to the district panchayat. SNDP Yogam vice-president Tushar Vellapally maintained that Yogam candidates are contesting the local bodies elections only as independents.
“None of our candidates are contesting on ‘lotus’ symbol. On Saturday, Yogam candidates will decide on their symbols when it is the last date to withdraw their nominations. It is the local leadership of Yogam and BJP who will decide on the symbols,” he said.
