Thiruvananthapuram: BJP would field its state vice-president Sobha Surendran in Kazhakoottam where Union minister V Muraleedharan had finished second in the previous assembly election. Party’s parliamentary board is learned to have taken a final decision regarding Sobha’s candidature, which had been hanging in balance for past few days.
According to sources close to Sobha, BJP parliamentary board cleared Sobha’s name for Kazhakoottam on Tuesday and the information was passed on to her by BJP national president J P Nadda. Sobha has been given the Kazhakoottam seat against the wishes and preferences of BJP state leadership.
Sobha who has of late become a critic of state president K Surendran had earlier informed the state and national leadership that she may be spared from contesting polls this time for personal reasons. However, she also gave signals that she would not say no if the central leadership wanted her to fight from Kazhakoottam, the sitting constituency of devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran.
Sobha had openly expressed her willingness to contest in Kazhakuttom on Monday. Sources said the central leadership was actively considered Sobha for Kazhakutttom even before the first list of candidates were announced on Sunday. But, since she gave contradictory answers to different leaders in the parliamentary board, the leadership decided to drop her name from the final list. However, the Lathika Subhash episode prompted the BJP central leadership to consider Sobha’s name once again for Kazhakuttom constituency even against the wishes of BJP state leadership. Meanwhile, there were attempts to field BDJS president and SNDP leader Thushar Vellappally in Kazhakuttom constituency. But Thushar did not yield to such demands and stuck to his decision of keeping off from any seats this time. BJP parliamentary board is expected to announce candidates for Kazhakoottam, Kollam and Karunagappally on Wednesday.