Kerala BJP chief’s U-turn: central brass will take a call on CM face

Party sources said the central BJP leadership was irked over the announcement made by Surendran at a time when the party has not made any such announcement in other poll-bound states.

The BJP in Kerala has made a u-turn on its earlier announcement that E Sreedharan, popularly known as Metro Man, would be the party’s Chief Minister candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections.

On Thursday, while addressing the party’s Vijay Yatra in Thiruvalla, state BJP chief K Surendran stated that Sreedharan would be the Chief Minister candidate and said he wanted the people of Kerala to give an opportunity to a government led by him to implement development projects of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

On Friday, however, he said, “The party’s central leadership would decide (on the 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 will lead it from the front,’’ he said.

Soon after Surendran made the announcement on Thursday, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, who is from Kerala and has considerable influence in the BJP’s state affairs, 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 withdrew the statement.

Party sources said the central BJP leadership was irked over the announcement made by Surendran at a time when the party has not made any such announcement in other poll-bound states.

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