No consensus on Kerala BJP president

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The  BJP central leaders failed to evolve a consensus on the next state president during a meeting of the core committee in Kochi on Friday.     A final decision would be announced by the central leadership within a week. The two central leaders who  attended the meeting were BJP national secretary in-charge of the state, H. Raja, and Nalin Kumar Kateel MP. They interviewed all the core committee leaders and heard their opinions on the next president.

Four BJP state secretaries are in the race - M. T. Ramesh, Sobha Surendran, K. Surendran and A. N. Radhakrishnan.  But there were objections against Mr Surendran,  trusted lieutenant of former  state president V. Muraleedharan MP. Former  state president P. S. Sreedharan Pillai is  a dark horse.

“Sreedharan Pillai who came third in the recent Chengannur by-election has expressed his desire to take up the post. But all the former state presidents except Muraleedharan  said that if a leader from outside the state is being chosen, they will support  Mr R. Balasankar, former editor of ‘Organiser,’”   a BJP source told  DC.

After the meeting attended by  former state presidents and the general secretaries,     Mr Raja told reporters that a decision will be taken by the central  leadership. “Nothing has come out of the meeting held in  Kochi,”  he said. Earlier, the central leaders also held talks with the state RSS leadership. They have expressed their displeasure against  Mr Surendran