Internal dissidence brewing in Palakkad BJP unit over candidate list declaration

Palakkad: Even as BJP hopes big in the Palakkad urban body polls, frictions within the party has caused ripples with senior BJP leader Pramila Sasidharan opposing the candidate list in Palakkad local body polls. As per media reports, Pramila Sasidharan has conveyed her displeasure to the party leadership.

"The party leadership have totally sidelined me and not considered my views at any point of time. A section of leaders have decided the candidates without consulting me. This has never happened earlier. I have conveyed my dissatisfaction with the state leadership”, said Pramila Sasidharan while speaking to the media.

However, Palakkad municipality holds a unique place in Kerala’s political landscape as the first urban body to be governed by the BJP. Having won in both the 2015 and 2020, the party is now aiming for an unprecedented hat-trick. The UDF, determined to reclaim power at any cost, is tightening its organisational grip, while the LDF has begun preparing for a strong contest with renewed strategy.

In the 2020 elections, the BJP won 28 of the 52 seats, improving on its 2015 tally of 24 seats and securing control of the municipality. This time, it hopes a decade’s worth of development projects will help it retain power. However, internal feud present a major challenge, particularly in Palayam ward.

Discontentment has been rising since the assembly by-election in which the present BJP state vice-president, C Krishnakumar was fielded as the BJP candidate. His defeat, coupled with the noticeable erosion of votes in municipal areas, sparked intense discussions and factional tensions within the party. Further cracks were exposed when the current municipal chairperson, Prameela Sasidharan, appeared at a public event alongside MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who the BJP had boycotted.

The Congress and the CPI(M) is looking to cash-in over the current turmoil in the Palakkad BJP unit.