BJP Kerala Strives for Unity Amidst Post-Bypoll Discontent

Amid rising internal tensions following the Palakkad byelection defeat, the BJP’s Kerala unit presented a united front during its State executive meeting. State president K. Surendran dismissed media reports of internal strife as fabricated, emphasizing that the meeting’s focus was on membership drives and organizational elections rather than leadership changes. He criticized the media for spreading rumors about V. Muraleedharan seeking the State president’s role, while ignoring Congress’s losses in other states.

Surendran declined to comment on Palakkad municipal chairperson Prameela Sasidharan’s accusations of flawed candidate selection, while leader Sobha Surendran downplayed factional disputes, shifting focus to upcoming local body polls. She expressed confidence in the BJP retaining Palakkad municipality and gaining control of Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur corporations. Meanwhile, C. Krishnakumar, the party’s candidate in the byelection, called Sasidharan’s criticism an emotional reaction to the electoral setback.