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
