In a cosmetic makeover, the Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently replaced five district presidents. The reshuffle, carried out with the approval of the central leadership, shows that the main issues affecting the state unit remain unresolved.
The bitter factionalism between the two major groups, led by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan and National Executive Member PK Krishnadas, has overtaken the party not only in its organizational work but also in electoral politics.
The president-dominated team includes the state unit chief, along with six general secretaries, including two debtors of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. (RSS) – M. Ganesh and K. Subhash – Still holding on to his posts. Structural rearrangement appears to be a futile exercise which will in fact lead to more power struggle in the party.
From above, this reform appears to be insignificant, while the central leadership is pushing for change at the local level. Now the Muraleedharan faction maintains the upper hand in the party apparatus. In May 2019, Mr. Muraleedharan joined the second Narendra Modi ministry and in February K. Surendran’s appointment as the state unit president gradually strengthened this faction in the party. Incidentally, the term of the current state committee ends next year.
The central leadership is of the view that a section of the RSS, along with one of the factions, is fueling the irreconcilable conflicts of the groups. The assembly elections showed that no leader in the state had the stature to win an election and only technocrat E. Sreedharan, actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi and retired IPS officer Jacob Thomas could strike a chord with voters.
To improve the party’s declining image, now state treasurer JR Padmakumar has been made state secretary while two secretaries P. Raghunath and C. Shivankutty have been made vice-presidents. One of the spokespersons, B Gopalakrishnan, has also been promoted.
Palakkad district president E. Krishnadas has been made the new treasurer, Kasaragod president K. Srikanth has been made secretary, Wayanad district president Saji Shankar has been included in the state committee and Pathanamthitta district president Ashokan Kulnada has been made cell coordinator. Changes include new spokespersons, members of the national council, a zonal president and a front president.
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