No seat for MT Ramesh, B Gopalakrishnan; Rift erupts over BJP’s first candidate list

Kollam: A major rift has erupted within the BJP over the exclusion of prominent leaders from the first list of candidates. Senior state leaders including Kummanam Rajasekharan, PS Sreedharan Pillai, MT Ramesh, B Gopalakrishnan, JR Padmakumar, A Nagesh, and Jiji Joseph, along with a majority of second-rung leaders, have been denied seats—triggering the unrest. Reports suggest that senior leaders have approached the central leadership and the RSS with complaints.

National Vice President of the Minority Morcha, Noble Mathew, has also come out openly on this. The decision to allocate seats to allies such as Twenty20 in Kodungallur and BDJS in Aranmula—where the BJP has significant influence—has further fueled internal dissent. There is also opposition to giving constituencies like Tripunithura and Kalamassery to alliance partners. A senior leader told Mathrubhumi that constituencies with decades of grassroots presence have been handed over “on a platter” to parties with little organisational base.

The shifting of district president Sandeep Vachaspathi, who had been active in Chengannur, to Harippad has created local discontent. Allegations have also surfaced that in districts led by leaders aligned with K Surendran, seats have been disproportionately allotted to allies. The decision to give the Ranni constituency, which includes the Sabarimala temple, to Twenty20 and field a Christian candidate has angered local RSS units. They had demanded that Kummanam contest from Aranmula or Ranni.

There is also resentment over fielding a Christian candidate of Twenty20 in Kodungallur, where the Ezhava community holds significant influence. Leaders allege that flawed decisions are being imposed by the central leadership. There are also indications that some leaders may be accommodated in the next phase of candidate announcements.

Leaders walk out of strategy meeting

Another criticism is that key leaders are being excluded from daily morning strategy meetings, which instead include some unfamiliar expatriate Malayalis. Only state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and a close group of two or three leaders reportedly attend these meetings. Senior leaders allege that unknown individuals based abroad are controlling the discussions and shaping strategies, resulting in decisions made without a proper understanding of Kerala’s ground realities.