Ahead of key Kerala event, Amit Shah tries to end cold war with ally BDJS

BJP National President Amit Shah. (PTI/File Photo) 

Fearing that soured ties with NDA ally Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) could mar the party’s much-touted political event in Kerala next month, the BJP is set to make a last-ditch attempt to salvage the alliance. Party chief Amit Shah, sources said, has invited BDJS leader Tushar Vellappally to Ahmedabad for talks.

On Tuesday, even as Kerala BJP chief Kummanam Rajasekharan, who held discussions with BJP (organisation) general secretary Ram Lal in the national capital, announced that all issues will be resolved with the key NDA constituent in the state within three days, sources said the party leadership is not likely to come under pressure from the BDJS leadership and succumb to their demands.

According to sources, Shah’s move to invite Vellappally for talks is an attempt to buy more time and retain the ties without any major damage for now. The BJP leadership is keen to see that the party’s Janaraksha march, scheduled to be held in Kerala from October 3 to 17, is a success. All BJP chief ministers, Union ministers and senior leaders are expected to participate in the event in a state where the party hopes to find more than a toehold before 2019 General Election.

The march, led by state BJP president Rajasekharan, will be flagged off by Shah and is expected to pass through all districts barring Idukki and Wayanadu, BJP MLA from Kerala O Rajagopal said. While the BDJS, the BJP’s first ally in Kerala, has threatened to snap ties and has kept itself off a few NDA meeting, the saffron party hopes the ally will be part of the march and Shah is learnt to have instructed all senior leaders to ensure their participation.

The BDJS has so far not announced its decision on this. BDJS has been sulking since September 2016, when its leader Vellappally Nadesan, a prominent figure from the Ezhava community, hit out at the BJP leadership for not keeping its promises. His critique came on the day the BJP national council was meeting in Kozhikode.

Nadesan is also general secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, a powerful Ezhava outfit. Nadesan, who had reportedly sought a role in New Delhi for his son, BDJS leader Tushar Vellappally, was ostensibly upset with the BJP leadership for “sidelining” its ally.

According to Nadesan, the BJP had failed to keep the coalition dharma. BJP leaders in the state said the party’s national leadership will not succumb to BDJS’s pressure tactic. The BDJS, they said, wanted a ministerial berth or a Rajya Sabha membership for Tushar, but after the induction of K J Alphons in the Union Cabinet there is no scope for such a demand.

While Nadesan has ruffled feathers in NDA when he met Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan last week, and triggered speculation that he could join the CPI(M)-led LDF, sources said the meeting was to keep the ruling CPI(M) in good humour in the state, as there has been investigations into charges of alleged corruption against Nadesan. BJP leaders claimed that Tushar Vellapally was keener to join the Congress-led UDF.