Kozhikode: There was no fault in the selection of the candidate for the Palakkad by-election, said BJP state president K Surendran. Speaking to reporters in the wake of the controversies surrounding the party's defeat in Palakkad, he emphasised that senior leader Sobha Surendran had worked hard during the campaign and dismissed allegations regarding her lack of cooperation.

“I take full responsibility for the defeat of the BJP in Palakkad. In every election, the credit for the victory goes to someone else, while the responsibility for the defeat always falls on the shoulders of the president,” Surendran said. He added that the decision about his resignation would be made by the central leadership of the party. However, he did not comment on reports suggesting that he had communicated with the central leadership about his willingness to step down.

Surendran explained that the candidate selection process in the party always considers various factors. The selection of Krishnakumar was made with these factors in mind, and the final decision was taken after a thorough review by the Parliamentary Board. “Up until the last moment, Krishnakumar had been reluctant to contest and had expressed that he was not willing to enter the fray,” Surendran said. He also denied rumors about a lack of aspirants for party tickets, stating that such rumors were created by the media.

Regarding the candidate selection for Palakkad, Surendran clarified that senior leader Kummanam Rajasekharan had held the key responsibility. “The moral responsibility for the defeat in Palakkad lies with the state president, without a doubt. If any mistakes had been made, they would be subject to an audit, and public statements made by BJP leaders regarding the defeat would be examined,” he added.

Surendran pointed out that votes had decreased in areas like Kannadi, Mathur, and Pirayiri Panchayats. However, the BJP is committed to regaining even the smallest loss of support. He also mentioned that the Municipal Chairperson has the right to express her opinion, and that opinion would be taken into account.

He opined that the BJP had secured a good share of votes in Chelakkara and Wayanad. While the BJP maintained its vote bank in Palakkad, it failed to attract new voters. Surendran emphasised that the mistakes made in the Palakkad by-election would be thoroughly analysed, as the BJP has always done after defeats. "The media is focusing only on the BJP's vote share in Palakkad, but is not discussing the loss of votes for the UDF and LDF," Surendran said.

Surendran also claimed that both the UDF and LDF had used banned extremist organisations in Kerala's by-elections.