New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: Tussle for the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat continues in the BJP as state president PS Sreedharan Pillai and Central Minister Alphons Kannanthanam staked claim to the seat. However, state general secretary K Surendran has the best chance, latest reports say.
Surendran was interested in Thrissur constituency. After BDJS president Thushar Vellappally declared his interest in the seat, Surendran was ready to settle for Pathanamthitta. This too is now uncertain after Pillai’s claim. Attingal is a choice Surendran has dismissed outright.
Another general secretary who was interested in Pathanamthitta – MT Ramesh – has rejected the compromise seat, Kozhikode, offered. Kannanthanam too has rejected Kollam offer. Palakkad has a two-way fight between Shobha Surendran and C Krishnakumar. Shobha has reportedly rejected the offer to contest from Attingal where Congress' Adoor Prakash has entered the fray to unseat the incumbent MP, A Sampath of the CPM.
Tom Vadakkan, who switched over from Congress last week, will contest from Ernakulam. BDJS has been given the Mavelikkara seat after BJP took back Ernakulam. AN Radhakrishan, who hoped to get the Thrissur seat, will contest from Chalakudy.
BDJS or Bharat Dharma Jana Sena, which was formed in late 2015, is an ally of the BJP in Kerala and a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
BJP leaders from the state had held a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah on Saturday night.
