THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP has not gained much headway in the state after Mr P.S. Sreedharan Pillai took over as state president nearly two months ago. He feels that the media has not given adequate attention to his work though his party colleagues say that Mr Pillai has failed to tap the goodwill received by the RSS and BJP during the flood relief activities.
The preparations for the Lok Sabha elections had taken a back seat after the floods hit the state. Mr Pillai claimed that the volunteers of Sevabharati, the community service wing under the RSS, did a yeoman service to the flood-affected people, but the media had ignored it.
“The honeymoon period of my new job is still on. The recent secretariat dharna against the LDF government had received wide support from the people. The potential of the BJP is being underestimated,” he said.
He had claimed in Kannur on Tuesday that a ‘strongman’ will join the BJP at the time of the Lok Sabha elections. There were rumours earlier that Congress leader K. Sudhakaran would join the BJP as he was offered a Rajya Sabha seat and adequate money to strengthen the BJP in the state. But Mr Sudhakaran denied it.
A senior BJP leader told DC that several top Congress leaders were unhappy with the dominance of the ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups in the party.
“Top Congress leaders like V. M. Sudheeran, P. J. Kurien, K. Sudhakaran and Rajmohan Unnithan may create a split in the party in due course. There are many second rung leaders who are unhappy with the KPCC leadership,” he said.
The first BJP state council meeting after Mr Pillai took over his new role will be held in Kochi on September 27 which will be inaugurated by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting will approve the appointment of Mr Pillai and prepare a plan of action for the Lok Sabha elections.
