Kerala BJP President K. Surendran's Chances of Re-election Improved by New Guidelines

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 27 (NationPress) A wave of unrest has emerged within the Kerala BJP following the introduction of a new guideline during an online meeting. This development appears to have improved the prospects for the current president, K. Surendran, to secure another term.

The recently declared guideline allows office bearers who have served a five-year term to contest again in the organizational elections.

Notably, Surendran has been leading the party since February 2020, after the former president, P. Sreedharan Pillai, was appointed to a gubernatorial position.

Prior to the commencement of this online meeting, there was a prevailing sentiment that Surendran would have to step down, with discussions about identifying his successor underway.

However, everything changed when the decision was made to waive the enforcement of the mandatory five-year term, leading to a heated debate during the online meeting, resulting in dissenting leaders exiting after voicing their objections.

The BJP's Kerala unit has been grappling with factional disputes, with one faction led by Surendran enjoying the support of former MoS V. Muraleedharan, while the opposing faction comprises veteran leaders like P. K. Krishnadas and M. T. Ramesh.

As per the current party regulations, a new cadre of office bearers is slated to be appointed early next year, prompting the party to initiate meetings across the country.

Although Surendran's selection as president at 54 was unexpected, his tenure has seen the BJP in Kerala experiencing mixed results.

Under Surendran’s leadership, the party lost its only sitting seat in the Nemom constituency during the 2021 Assembly elections. However, three years later, popular actor Suresh Gopi won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Thrissur, defeating the Congress candidate, who finished third, by a margin exceeding 70,000 votes.

It is worth noting that the national leadership has occasionally voiced dissatisfaction regarding internal factionalism hampering the party's steady growth in Kerala, yet these concerns have largely been ignored.

Although Gopi's victory marked an important breakthrough for the BJP, the new office bearers will face significant challenges in the upcoming local body elections, where the stakes are high. The BJP aims to take control of the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, currently governed by the CPI-M-led Left, with the BJP positioned as the main opposition and the Congress-led UDF trailing in third place.

Therefore, it remains to be seen whether Surendran will be able to secure another term in light of these regulatory changes within the BJP.