BJP May Stick With Kerala Chief as High Command Tries To Salvage Situation

New Delhi: The Kerala BJP may not disturb its state unit chief K Rajasekharan, despite the continued turmoil in the party and the criticism levelled against Rajasekharan for the handling of the situation. The BJP high command is however worried that the alleged scams may dent the party’s image in a state it is trying find its feet.

A series of alleged scams have rocked the Kerala BJP in the last fortnight. The party has had to expel its corporative cell chairman after reports in the media alleged an exchange of money for arranging Medical Council of India (MCI) recognition for a college.

A committee set up by the state president confirming the allegations was leaked to the media leading to a huge furore. In order to save face, the BJP had to send two emissaries who held a marathon meeting with state office bearers in Thiruvananthapuram last week.

A senior party leader told News 18 that action had already been taken against an individual whose name cropped up in the investigation and that the rest of the controversy has its genesis in "infighting within the party". The leader claimed that the tiffs could be sorted out in no time by the party high command, as it is in complete control of the situation.

Another party leader explicitly said that after a very long time "we have had a state chief who has been able to strike a balance between the party and the RSS". This is extremely critical for the party's growth in the province where RSS's footprint on the ground predates BJP's presence in the electoral field.

"After all, the only allegation against the state president is that an internal assessment report was leaked. Nothing more," said the leader.

Another BJP insider calls these developments as a manifestation of internal rift between two factions of the party – one led by the state chief and the other by PK Krishnadas who is currently in-charge of Telangana.

The worry for the party has also been its impact on the national narrative where BJP at the end of three years in power is showcasing itself for having provided a corruption-free government.