Thiruvananthapuram: With BJP national president Amit Shah arriving in Angamaly to celebrate the first birthday of Bharat Dharma Jana Sena on Monday, the leaders are unhappy over the promised appointments in various boards. BDJS’s top leaders including national secretary Subhash Vasu have been awaiting suitable appointments in the rank of Minister of State and in various boards as chairmen which is yet to happen. At the same time, SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan has been keeping aloof from BDJS as prominent persons in SNDP are still against the formation of a political party.
Vellapally staying aloof is being seen as a strategy of the father-son duo as Tushar Vellapally is the president of the party. In fact, a top BJP leader quipped that there was definitely a “spelling mistake” with Vellapally shying away from BDJS after floating the party last year with much fanfare. “Ever since the Assembly election results came out, Vellapally has stayed aloof. The BDJS can’t flourish without the support of the SNDP Yogam. With cases against Vellapally in the micro finance issue, he has been cosying up to the left leadership especially with Alappuzha district secretary Saji Cherian”, said a top BJP leader to DC.
BDJS’ vote share in their first 2016 Assembly elections was 3.9 percent while the BJP’s vote share was at an all-time high of 10.5 percent. It was due to the strong base of the SNDP Yogam that the political party could be setup. BDJS has already sought seven Lok Sabha seats which BJP national president Amit Shah has categorically rejected saying that the Yogam would be allocated seats according to its clout. “Tushar has been demanding key positions in various posts which has fallen on deaf ears. But still the BDJS leadership has been repeatedly asking the central BJP leadership as a ritual. In fact Subhash Vasu has been repeatedly saying that people who supported the BDJS can be appeased only if they are accommodated in various board positions”, said a BDJS source.
