THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan is disappointed that the BJP leadership did not do its home work well on the alliance for local bodies elections. He told DC that the performance of their candidates in seven districts could have been better had BJP state president V. Muraleedharan shown some interest.
Mr M. T. Ramesh, BJP vice-president, admitted that both the BJP and SNDP Yogam’s top brass had failed due to the ‘initial hiccup.’
The Yogam and BJP leaders feel that their alliance have not been fruitful as expected. More mudslinging can be expected once the poll outcome is known on November 7 as Mr Natesan and Mr Muraleedharan have not been seeing eye-to- eye.
In most districts, especially in Kozhikode corporation, Alappuzha, Idukki and Kozhikode district panchayats, the BJP has supported independent candidates fielded by the Yogam.
In the southern districts like Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, Ezhava candidates in the BJP got more representation. Mr Natesan feels that though the BJP leadership failed in taking the alliance further, they will make great strides in the first phase of the elections.
“Muraleedharan had not done his home work properly when the alliance was taking shape. Anyway, the alliance will make strides in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Idukki and Thrissur. The elections to the local bodies are in fact a rehearsal to the Assembly elections,” said Mr Natesan.
He added that Kottayam district which is going to the polls on November 5, has a sizable population of Ezhava voters. This would benefit the independent candidates fielded by the BJP.
However, Mr Ramesh feels that the state leadership was groping in the dark when the local level leaders grabbed the opportunity to make inroads into the Ezhava community.
“Though we couldn’t work out the alliance in all districts, we could create a general atmosphere among the voters. What next would be known post-local bodies elections,” he said.
