THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former BJP state president P. S. Sreedharan Pillai, who has been sidelined by the state BJP leadership, is busy writing books. Mr Pillai, 63, a leading lawyer, is bringing out five Malayalam books, Capital Punishment – rights and wrongs, Abhina Bhavam and Marmarangal (poetry), Baluch Mohajir issues and Pakistan, and Malayali who has been trapped in the net (essays). They will be released by Law Minister A. K. Balan, Congress MLA K. Muraleedharan, CPM fellow traveller Cherian Philip, Muslim League MLA Dr. M. K. Muneer and BJP veteran O. Rajagopal at the Press Club here on March 5.
“I am not a full time politician and I work in a systematic manner to the best of my abilities. Even when I was the BJP state president, I was doing legal duties once a week,” said Mr. Pillai who was also the central government’s main counsel as well was assistant solicitor-general in the High Court. Mr. Pillai, who was the state president during 2003-06, was responsible for the election of Mr P. C. Thomas of the then Indian Federal Democratic Party under NDA banner from Moovattupuzha Lok Sabha seat in 2004 with a record 34.4 percent vote share. During the 2016 Assembly elections from Chengannur, Mr. Pillai gave a tough fight to the sitting Congress MLA P. C. Vishnunath.
After his electoral loss, Mr. Pillai was trying to get a gubernatorial post which did not work out. Mr. Pillai as well as his predecessor C. K. Padmanabhan has been sidelined by the state BJP leadership. “These two senior leaders are upset that they have not been getting due recognition compared to former BJP state president V. Muraleedharan. Muraleedharan may not be permitting the leadership to give any major responsibilities to the duo,” said a veteran BJP leader. Mr. Pillai’s closeness to union minister of urban development Venkaiah Naidu has also boomeranged. He appears in district courts as well as High Court and sometimes in the Supreme Court.
