BJP ally Thushar Vellappally to fight Rahul in Wayanad

Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) leader Thushar Vellappally will be contesting against Congress president Rahul Gandhi at Wayanad as NDA candidate.

BDJS is a political outfit initiated by the Sree Narayana Dharama Paripalanayogam (SNDP), an outfit of the prominent Hindu Ezhava community in Kerala. Thushar is the vice president of the SNDP. His father Vellappally Natesan is heading the SNDP. Natesan has been showing allegiance with the Left-front in Kerala over quite some time.

BJP president Amit Shah announced Thushar's candidature at Wayanad on Twitter. " I proudly announce Shri Thushar Vellappally, president of BDJS as NDA candidate from Wayanad. A vibrant and dynamic youth leader, he represents our commitment towards development and social justice. With him, NDA will emerge as Kerala's political alternative," Shah tweeted.

Reacting to the candidature, Thushar said that he was confident of giving a tight fight to Rahul as he had considerable support base in Wayanad constituency. Thushar also said that a candidate from North India would not be able to know the pulse of Kerala voters. The fight in Wayanad is going to be between NDA and the Congress and the Left front would not have any significance, he said.

Thushar, who is making is electoral debut, was planning to contest at Thrissur and Paily Vathiattu was decided as BDJS candidate at Wayanad. But in view of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from Wayanad, NDA agreed to Thushar's demand that he would contest from Wayanad. The BJP may now take back the Thrissur seat from BDJS and field any state leaders as it is considered by BJP as one of the few winnable seats in Kerala.

Sources close to Thushar said that he is aged 49 and holds an MBA. He has been actively involved in hotel business.

BDJS was formed in 2016. BDJS candidates contested in 36 seats, including two assembly segments in Wayanad constituency, in the 2016 assembly elections in Kerala. Though it did not win in any seats, it got a vote share of four percent in the state while that of BJP was 10.6.

The Left front had already fielded CPI’s former Malappuram district secretary P P Suneer as the candidate at Wayanad.