Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The BJP has decided to conduct a grassroots-level review to assess the reasons for the drop in its vote share in the recently concluded local body elections, with party leadership indicating that those found responsible for lapses could be removed from organisational posts.

The decision was taken at a meeting attended by core committee members, district presidents and others in Kannur. The party has directed that detailed reports from every ward explaining the reasons for the decline in votes and identifying areas for improvement be submitted by early January. Further action will be taken after district-level evaluations.

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The party also discussed its failure to make the expected gains in key areas, including Thrissur. BJP leaders assessed that the performance of ally BDJS during the polls was not satisfactory. It was also decided that preparations for the Assembly elections would begin on January 15.

Cross-voting

According to the BJP’s assessment, cross-voting by the CPM and the Congress against BJP candidates led to defeats in nearly 800 wards. While the party’s expectation of significantly increasing its vote share across the state suffered a setback, leaders said victories in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and gains in other urban centres offer hope ahead of the Assembly elections.

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Mayor selection

The party will seek the views of its councillors on Wednesday to finalise the mayor for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and chairpersons for the Trippunithura and Palakkad municipalities. A committee comprising the district president, party in-charge and a representative from the state leadership will conduct the consultations.