BDJS resentment unlikely to move BJP leadership

The Bharath Dharma Jana Sena’s (BDJS) decision not to cooperate with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Chengannur Assembly byelection campaign while continuing in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) may not persuade the nonchalant BJP national leadership to redress its grievances.

The BDJS, which that had sought due representation on the boards and corporations under the Union government, had tried out the same tactics a number of times earlier, but to no avail. The BJP national leaders may yet again give a ‘firm’ assurance that all outstanding issues would be sorted out soon, and leave it once the byelection is over.

The BJP national leadership had time and again offered to assuage its principal ally and reiterated that its demands would be addressed immediately within a specific timeframe, but the State and national leadership of the BJP had not been keen on honouring their commitments.

When the BDJS raised a banner of revolt on the eve of the BJP national executive in Kozhikode in September 2016, BJP president Amit Shah himself gave an assurance that the question of sharing boards and corporations among the State NDA allies would be settled within a month. He had also expressed a resolution to broadbase the NDA by bringing in parties such as the Kerala Congress(M).

When BJP State president Kumanam Rajasekharan took out the Kerala Raksha Yatra as part of the party’s campaign against the CPI(M), the BDJS initially did not cooperate with the yatra and was later persuaded to join its culmination again at the behest of the national leadership with a similar assurance that its demands would be met without delay.

On making K.J. Alphons part of the NDA government, the BDJS once again took up the issue and subsequently it made its decision to cross over to one of the rival fronts. Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan called on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on September 18 last and gave a clear hint that the party would be forced to explore other options too.

When he vociferously criticised the BJP for its anti-Dalit stance and failure to win the confidence of the allies, his son and BDJS leader Thushar Vellappally expressed his commitment to be in the NDA.