BJDS slams BJP for ignoring it on Malappuram candidate

KOCHI: The leader of the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), Vellappally Natesan, a key partner of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Kerala, has slammed the BJP for ‘not consulting’ alliance partners before announcing the NDA candidate for the Malappuram Lok Sabha by-poll.

Natesan said that the BJP announced its candidate for Malappuram without discussing it with its allies. Since the candidate was selected without consultation, BDJS does not feel compelled to support him, he said while adding that the BJP was ‘not extending basic courtesy’ to front partners and it would be difficult for the NDA to fare well in Kerala.

In related developments, former industry minister PK Kunhalikutty of the Indian Union Muslim League filed his nomination papers on Monday, even as the Left Democratic Front decided to field DYFI district president MB Faizal for the by-poll.

BJP has named district vice-president N Sreeprakash as its candidate. The Malappuram by-poll was necessitated by the death of former minister of state for external affairs E Ahamed of the IUML.

The BJP has alleged that the UDF and LDF were involved in a ‘friendly match’ in Malappuram and said that CPM had selected a district president because it was not taking the elections seriously.

BJP leader MT Ramesh alleged that LDF took the decision to field a ‘less important’ candidate in Malappuram after chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Kunhalikutty had a meeting.