THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even when the BJP called off its indefinite fast before the Secretariat on Sunday, factionalism was evident in the state with former president V. Muraleedharan and his trusted lieutenant K. Sudhakaran, the general secretary, keeping away.
Gandhian P. Gopinathan Nair gave lemon juice to former president P. K. Krishnadas.
Ever since its protest against allowing young women entry at Sabarimala began, both had expressed their displeasure on and off. With Sabarimala Karma Samithi hijacking its campaign, it had not gone down well with the Muraleedharan faction.
When the police attested Mr Surendran in Sabarimala, the leadership faced charges of not responding promptly.
He was in various prisons including Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail on remand custody for 20 days which angered the faction all the more.
Factionalism is rampant in the party, and many fear it would affect their electoral prospects.
Incumbent P.S. Sreedharan Pillai said, for the time being, his party was ending the indefinite relay fast.
"The protest on Sabarimala will continue and that we have called off the fast doesn't mean it's over. We will start our protest again on the first day of the Malayalam month of Kumbham on February 13", he said.
State general secretary A. N. Radhakrishnan, former president C. K. Padmanabhan, general secretary Sobha Surendran, vice-presidents N. Sivarajan and P. M. Velayudhan, president of Mahila Morcha V. T. Rema and former president P. K. Krishnadas were the leaders who held the indefinite fast.
