Kerala BJP chief K Surendran takes responsibility for Palakkad loss, responds to resignation rumours
By Deepu Mohan | First Published Nov 25, 2024, 1:49 PM ISTBJP Kerala president K Surendran admitted the party's failure to retain its base vote in Palakkad and takes responsibility for the defeat. He stated that the central leadership will decide on his resignation.
Kozhikode: BJP Kerala president K Surendran has openly acknowledged the party's failure to retain its base votes in Palakkad, admitting that it couldn’t increase its vote share in the region. Surendran confirmed that a thorough evaluation of the situation will be conducted, and necessary corrections will be made after reviewing each booth in the area.
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Surendran pointed out that in the previous election, E Sreedharan had received substantial support from the public in Palakkad, a feat that BJP's candidate Krishna Kumar was unable to replicate. The candidate selection process has come under scrutiny, with some allegations emerging regarding the decision. However, Surendran clarified that the selection was not determined by a single individual.
"Kummanam Rajasekharan was in charge of selecting candidates across the state, and the final decision on Palakkad's candidate was approved by the BJP's Parliamentary Board, which includes leaders like Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Three names were considered, but two of the potential candidates were unwilling to contest. This led to Krishna Kumar, who himself was initially reluctant, being selected. Notably, Krishna Kumar did manage to increase the BJP’s vote count in Malampuzha from 3,000 to 50,000," Surendran said.
Surendran also addressed media reports attempting to create issues around the candidate selection. He mentioned that all public statements will be reviewed and added that some observers and online media had been pushing for an alliance with the Congress. Surendran criticized these calls, stating that some were upset because their demand for such an alliance was not accepted.
On his potential resignation:
When asked if he would resign over the defeat, Surendran took full responsibility as the state president. He acknowledged, "As the state president, I am destined to bear the responsibility for the defeat. The president always gets blamed when there is a loss. I take the primary responsibility for this defeat." He further clarified that the decision to step down from his position is not an individual choice and would be made by the party’s central leadership. "If there are shortcomings in my work, it should be audited. The central leadership will decide whether I should stay or leave," he stated. Surendran also reminded the press that when V Muraleedharan was the president, BJP had received only 2,000 votes in Piravom, yet no one demanded his resignation.
Surendran also raised concerns about the growing influence of the SDPI in Kerala's elections, accusing both the LDF and UDF of having ties with extremist organizations. He expressed his alarm over the rising religious extremism in the state, questioning why only Palakkad's election issues were being discussed. "Why is no one talking about the decrease in UDF votes in Chelakkara?" he asked, highlighting the need for a broader conversation about the electoral dynamics in the state.
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