THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The SNDP Yogam approached the central BJP leadership directly for forming an alliance which resulted in the formation of BDJS. But the going was not easy since. They had approached BJP president Amit Shah through Malayali Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pratheesh Viswanathan with the blessings of the then international working president Ashok Singhal. But Mr Sehgal died a few weeks before the birth of the BDJS of Thushar Vellappally in Dec 2015.
Aranmula-based leader liaised over 18 months on the alliance on Mr Singhal's advice with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Shah. It was a huge embarrassment to the then state BJP leadership led by V. Muraleedharan who had no qualms in admitting it. A senior BJP leader said over the last three years the equation between Mr Singhal's successor Pravin Togadia worsened, inordinately delaying promises to BDJS.
"State BJP leadership is literally in the dark on Mr Shah is delaying promised posts on Union government boards," he told DC. Mr Vishwanathan had hogged the limelight by allegedly orchestrating the "beef raid" at Kerala House in 2015. The hardliner is also the all-India joint coordinator of a VHP helpline for the so-called love jihad victims. SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan said if Mr Shah had no issues with Mr Vishwanathan, he should have shown the courtesy to admit it.
Mr Nateshan lashed out at Mr Muralidharan MP and the state BJP leadership saying they never bothered to take the initiative to solve the outstanding issues. "It was Mr Vishwanathan who took the initiative in the alliance," he told DC. "Neither Mr Muraleedharan nor his successor Kummanam Rajasekharan took the initiative to address our demands."
