Resentment in Kerala BJP after senior state leaders left out of national posts' list

Resentment is brewing among BJP leaders in Kerala as two leaders who recently joined the party from the Congress were given prominent posts at the national level, while some senior leaders in the state were ignored.

The state leadership is now pinning its hopes on reports of a cabinet reshuffle in the offing.

The appointment of A P Abdullakutty as national vice-president and Tom Vadakkan as national spokesperson had irked the state leaders as senior leaders like Kummanam Rajasekharan and Sobha Surendran, who were learnt to be expecting posts at the national level, apart from many other former state presidents of the party, were left out.

There was already some resentment among some state leaders over the appointment of K Surendran as the party state president.

Kerala BJP leaders, however, did not openly accept the resentment over the restructuring at the national level. Surendran and Kummanam told the media that the decision of the party was acceptable to all in the party.

Abdullakutty, who was initially part of the CPM, had later joined the Congress before entering the BJP. The two-time MP and two-time MLA was expelled from the Congress last year for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Subsequently, he joined the BJP and was made the state vice-president. His elevation to the national vice president post could be seen as an attempt by the BJP to overcome the anti-Muslim tag pinned on it, a major hurdle for the party in Kerala's electoral politics.

Tom Vadakkan, who was the national spokesperson of the Congress, joined the BJP last year.

It is learnt that both these leaders were not nominated by the BJP state leaders from Kerala to the national posts.

Former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan, who had put up strong electoral fights for the BJP in Kerala, was expected to be a frontrunner for a post at the national level. There were also reports of Rajasekharan being given an offer in this regard when he was made to quit the Mizoram governor's post and contest the Lok Sabha elections last year.

Sobha Surendran was a probable with high chances for the BJP Kerala president's post after P S Sreedharan Pillai was made Mizoram governor. But K Surendran was made the party president and Sobha was reportedly inactive owing to resentment over the issue. She was expected to be given a suitable post.

Sources in the party said that Rajasekharan may be considered during the next cabinet reshuffle and Sobha may be considered as part of the National Women's Commission.