Kozhikode: RSS ideologue and former editor of Organiser weekly, R Balashankar, has unleashed severe criticism against the BJP’s Kerala leadership. He alleged that his candidature in Chengannur in the Assembly election was denied because of the distorted vision of the BJP Kerala leadership.

Speaking to mathrubhumi.com, Balashankar also said that if BJP continue to retain the present leadership, it may not win in Kerala for the next 30 years.

Balashankar, who is the national co-convener of Amit Shah’s dream project – training the cadre program – and co-convener of party’s publication wing, alleged that he was dropped from the electoral fray in Chengannur as part of a deal signed between BJP state president K Surendran and the CPM.

“My candidature was supported by NSS, SNDP and Christian communities alike. BJP had the best chances of victory in Chengannur. Not only the Orthodox church leadership, but SNDP general secretary Vellappally also had extended support to me. He even instructed the SNDP regional unit to support me. NSS also extended the same support. The NSS leadership had told me that they won’t support BJP but will extend support to me personally,” he said.

Chengannur is my place. My friends and relatives alone will constitute over 10,000 votes. BJP has over 30,000 votes here. Apart from this, NSS, SNDP and Christian communities votes were also ensured. Despite this, I was denied the ticket. I suspect it was part of a deal between K Surendran and CPM. If CPM is allowed to win in Chengannur, the result would reflect in Konni – it would have been the deal, Balashankar added.

BJP has over 40 A-Class constituencies in Kerala including Chengannur and Aranmula. The victory chances in these constituencies have been ruined now. CPM’s victory in these two constituencies is being ensured aiming at Konni. Why is a candidate, who was placed third in the bypoll, again contesting in the same constituency? That too along with another constituency Manjeswaram. Even filing nomination papers in these two places will take a 3-day journey. So campaigning within 15 days is impossible. It is being said that helicopter will be rented for election campaign. A politician who had questioned the helicopter rides of Kerala CM is now saying he will rent helicopter for campaign works, Balashankar lashed out at Surendran.

On asked why Surendran was contesting in two seats when Sobha Surendran was denied a ticket, Balashankar said that the BJP state leadership is deliberately destroying the party.

“Manjeswaram and Konni are poles apart geographically. Why would someone, who has lost all the elections till date, contesting in two seats. It makes sense if when someone who is popular like Modi, is contesting. The BJP state leadership is of the stern stance that the party shouldn’t win even a single seat in Kerala,” he said.

Balashankar also said that Amit Shah and Narendra Modi were aware of his probable candidature in Chengannur. He alleged that BJP has now fielded weak candidates in Chengannur and Aranmula.

Criticising Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraledharan, Balashankar said that the former was blindly misinforming the BJP national leadership.

For BJP to grow in Kerala, it has to be through the Nair-Christian-Ezhava combination. Chengannur was the perfect place. If the seat was won by BJP, it would have been an another-level play for the party. And I was the perfect candidate to win it, he added.

Speaking of KM Mani and Jose K Mani, Balashakar said that he had a warm relationship with both of them. Jose was even ready to join BJP, but the state leadership played against it fearing their chances at ministerships and other high honours would be affected.

Balashankar also stated that for BJP to have roots in Kerala, it needs fresh air or new thinking.

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