‘Only stated people’s wish’: BJP’s flip-flop on Sreedharan as party’s CM face in Kerala

The BJP in Kerala on Friday did a flip-flop on the party’s chief minister candidate for the assembly elections.

Hours after the party stated that E Sreedharan, popularly known as ‘Metro Man’, would be party’s chief minister candidate, BJP state chief K Surendran sought to take back the announcement. “What I stated was the wish of the party as well as the people. But I cannot make a decision. There is no confusion on the issue,” he said.

However, Surendran added: “There would be a BJP government in Kerala which would be led by Sreedharan from the front.”

On Thursday, while addressing party’s Vijay Yatra in Thiruvalla, Surendran had stated that Sreedharan would be the chief minister candidate of the party in the state assembly elections. He wanted people of Kerala to give an opportunity for a government led by Sreedharan to implement the developmental projects of the Modi government.

Soon after Surendran made the declaration about the party’s chief minister candidate, the issue was endorsed by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, who has considerable stake in the party’s Kerala affairs. Muraleedharan tweeted, “@BJPKeralam will fight #Keralapolls with E Sreedharan as its chief minister candidate…the new Kerala under E Sreedharan will pave way for an efficient and effective government in the state.” Later on Thursday night, the union minister, who hails from Kerala, withdrew his tweet.

Party sources said the central leadership was irked over the announcement made by Surendran even as the party has not addressed the same issue in other poll-bound states.

On Friday, Surendran said, “The party central leadership would decide (on chief minister candidate) after deliberations. What I stated was that party workers and people wish to have the leadership of Sreedharan. No doubt, Kerala would have a BJP government and persons like Sreedharan would lead it from the front,” he said.