Thiruvananthapuram: A day after the BJP core committee met here, trouble is brewing among leaders over finalising its candidate for Malappuram by-election.
While state president Kummanam Rajasekharan and his predecessor V. Muraleedharan favour N. Sreeprakash, the local leadership is all for Sobha Surendran, the state general secretary who hails from the district.
Tuesday's meeting, party sources confirmed, turned stormy with heated exchanges between O. Rajagopal MLA and former state president C. K. Padmanabhan.
Mr Rajagopal maintained a local-level leader should not be fielded against IUML strongman P. K. Kunhalikutty, especially after the impressive win in state elections.
But Mr Padmanabhan asked him who will fund it, which upset the veteran leader.
Mr Rajagopal declined to comment when DC contacted him. He said, without concealing his displeasure, the best person to react was Mr Rajasekharan.
Mr Rajasekharan said the local leadership would propose their nominee, which the 17-member state election committee which he heads would forward to the centre. “Accordingly, Delhi will make an announcement. There is no rule as such that only a state leader has to be fielded in Malappuram,” he said.
In fact, his and Muraleedharan’s decision to send former state president P. K. Krishnadas to Malappuram to choose from a panel of candidates have not gone down well with a cross section of leaders and supporters.
When the Malappuram district leadership gave a name, the duo demanded a panel of candidates. Their opponents have decided to bring it to the attention of national president Amit Shah.
