LS polls: BDJS to contest five seats

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  The BDJS will be contesting on five seats in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. However, the party state president Thushar Vellapally will not be contesting the polls, sources in the NDA told Express.Thushar, it is learnt, is not contesting the elections since he will have to quit the post of SNDP Yogam to contest elections. However, sources indicate that Thushar will be participating full time in the election campaigns across the state. BDJS leaders T V Babu and Subhash Vasu will contest polls.

Babu will be NDA candidate from Alathur constituency while the seats being contested by other leaders are yet to be finalised. Thrissur seat is a bone of contention between the BJP and the BDJS with the former strongly pitching for party state general secretary K Surendran. Sources in the NDA feel that the issue will be sorted out in the days to come.

The BJP has already shortlisted probable candidates in all the constituencies. While in some constituencies, the party has given a list of three likely candidates and there are constituencies where only one name is given.

The list provided by the state committee in consultation with the RSS leadership will be subjected to a detailed survey by a poll agency commissioned by the BJP national leadership. This survey will be one of the factors along with several other including feedback from the constituency which will finally decide on the candidate.